Future Fit timeline: Three years in deciding Shropshire's health care
It has been three years since it was announced that there would be a change to health services in Shropshire - and we have put together a timeline to show how it has all unfolded.
: It is announced that there will be a change to health services in the county.
January 30, 2014: Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust board (SaTH) is due to approve the plan for the redesign of how services are delivered in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales.
February 24, 2014: NHS bosses set aside £1.145 million for the delivery of the Future Fit programme to redesign the way services are delivered.
March 14, 2014: It is announced that Shropshire is to have just one A&E department.
March 27, 2014: The transformation of hospital services will take "as long as it takes" to make sure it is right, according to Dr Caron Morton, accountable officer for Shropshire clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).
March 31, 2014: The Shropshire Defend Our NHS campaign is launched in response to what the group describes as "an escalating crisis in the NHS, locally and nationally".
June 20, 2014: The Future Fit blueprint is backed unanimously by the joint health overview and scrutiny committee of Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council.
August 12, 2014: A series of workshops is held to find out how people think healthcare can be improved for the future.
September 5, 2014: The two-year operating plan published by SaTH suggests one single A&E unit in a new purpose built hospital is the only way to go.
September 12, 2014: Councillors in Telford & Wrekin call for Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt to intervene and end uncertainty over the future of A&E services in the town.
September 25, 2014: Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham says concentrating A&E services in Shropshire on one site could be "dangerous".
September 26, 2014: Eight different options are drawn up as part of the Future Fit programme and presented to members of SaTH.
September 29, 2014: The new £28million Women and Children's Centre at the PRH opens for the first time.
October 1, 2014: Health chiefs release a feasibility study which reveals building on a new site between Shrewsbury and Telford would cost £500 million to £520 million.
November 29, 2014: Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt refuses to get involved in ongoing discussions over Shropshire's A&E services.
August 12, 2015: David Evans, chief officer for Telford and Wrekin CCG, says the preferred option for the new emergency centre would be announced on October 1.
August 28, 2015: SaTH is forecasting a deficit of £17.2 million for 2015/2016 – and the saving made by closing an A&E unit would not significantly change the financial situation, trust board members are told at a meeting.
September 23, 2015: Mike Sharon, programme director of Future Fit, tells Telford & Wrekin CCG proposals for a single hospital have been deemed unaffordable.
October 1 2015: The decision is put back, possibly until summer 2016.
October 1 2015: It is announced the Women and Children's Centre has seen 3,700 births in its first year and has treated over 10,000 children.
October 3 2015: It is revealed the bill for the work carried out since the launch of Future Fit in 2013 is likely to reach £3 million.
November 16 2015: Dr Caron Morton resigns as accountable officer for Shropshire CCG.
November 25 2015: Dr Bill Gowans resigns from the board of Shropshire's CCG.
December 5 2015: Telford & Wrekin Council launches campaign to keep A&E in Telford.
December 9 2015: SaTH says a decision will be made in June 2017.
December 24 2015: MPs meet Simon Wright, the new chief executive of the trust.
February 4 2016: Experts have from international auditing company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) are asked to review the work.
March 30 2016: It is announced that it will take up to seven years to create a new single A&E department for Shropshire.
April 12 2016: GPs describe plans to reorganise Shropshire health services as "naive to the point of being dangerous".
April 27 2016: Members of Telford's CCG board delay a decision on whether to support the strategic outline case for Future Fit.
April 29 2016: Peter Latchford, chairman of SaTH's board, said changes need to be made to services at the RSH and PRH, but says delays in making a plan means further pressure is being put on the already stretched system.
May 10 2016: Future Fit plans are thrown into turmoil as the county's two clinical commissioning groups are split on whether to back the plans.
June 29 2016: Both CCGs agree the strategic outline case for Future Fit.
GOING FORWARDS....
October 2016: Once the options have been ranked they will go to the Future Fit programme board.
December 2016: Public consultation expected to begin and last for 12 weeks.
June 2017: The final decision will be made, taking into account the appraisals and consultation results.
July 2017: The Future Fit plans will begin to be implemented.
