Mark Pritchard MP: Losing services in Telford would be 'unacceptable'

The Wrekin MP has met with David Evans from Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group to discuss the Future Fit programme.

Mr Pritchard held the meeting to put forward his views that the £28 million Women and Children's Centre, opened at the Princess Royal Hospital two years ago, should be kept where it is.

He said: "I made it quite clear, that given the age profile and size of Telford's growing population, that any relocation of children's services would be completely unacceptable.

"I also made the imperative case for retaining a local accident and emergency unit in Telford."

A final decision on hospital services in Shropshire has been delayed for a month, after Telford & Wrekin Council voiced its intention to launch a judicial review should proposals which would see the borough's hospital in Grainger Drive, Apley, lose its A&E department and see Women and Children's services move from the new specialist centre to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Telford would take on planned care under the proposals, revealed as the chosen option in a non-financial appraisal of services.

It comes after council leader Councillor Shaun Davies said he believed decision making by the body was skewed in favour of non-financial factors which would see Telford lose out.

In a joint letter from himself and council managing director Richard Partington, the pair wrote to David Evans outlining their concerns about decision making. Since the announcement was made in September, a protest march has been held in Telford, thousands have signed petitions to keep services at the Princess Royal Hospital and mothers have been encouraged to share pictures of babies born at the hospital.

No final decision has yet been made and the deciding of a preferred option was delayed at the start of this month when the Future Fit Programme Board decided to delay its final recommendation for a month due to concerns.