Telford A&E closure threat: Breakdown of board revealed after demand by Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard
The make-up of a board that recommended closing Telford's A&E has been released following demands from Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard .
Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard wanted to know who made up the non-financial benefits panel, which recommended the transfer of A&E and children's services from Telford to Shrewsbury.
He said it was in the "public interest" that the names of members and the organisations they represented should be publicised.
He said: "They need to justify why they have made this recommendation to the programme board.
"This decision is too important to be kept hidden behind closed doors. I will fight these plans all the way."
A'non-financial appraisal' of the future of hospital services under the Future Fit Scheme recommended that A&E Princess Royal Hospital's A&E should be focused at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, along with the Women and Children's Centre, just two years after the £28 million facility opened in Telford.
The NHS has published a breakdown of the groups represented on the board and how many members each supply. The Future Fit group says it is a "fair, even and balanced panel" comprised of organisations who have been involved throughout the review process.
The break-down shows there are 23 members who could be seen to solely represent the interests of Shropshire and Powys, and 11 with a vested interest in Telford.
The remaining 16 appear to have an interest in both camps. The largest group represented is the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust itself, with 12 members.
Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group, Powys Teaching Health Board, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, Shropshire Patient Group, Telford & Wrekin Health Round Table, Healthwatch Shropshire, Healthwatch Telford & Wrekin and Powys Patients all have three.
Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council have two members.
Powys County Council, West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Shropshire Doctors' Cooperative LTD and NHS England all have one.
The GP Federation is listed but has no board members.
