Future Fit: Shropshire A&E decision is hit by new delay

The start of public consultation on the fate of the county's A&E departments, is now likely to be pushed back until after May next year.

A recommendation had been expected at the start of October, leading to the possible closure of A&E at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital and the transfer of the Women and Children's Centre to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

But that decision was put back a month after Future Fit officials blamed a legal challenge by Telford & Wrekin Council.

No announcement has yet been made and now officials admit the real reason for the hold-up is because they need NHS "feedback" before a decision is made.

It has also been revealed that there is no "plan B" to the Future Fit review if NHS England says it will not fund the proposals.

The new delay has infuriated North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, who today said the situation was "exasperating" and risked losing the support of the public.

Debbie Vogler, Future Fit programme director, said NHS England feedback was needed by November 28 to allow the process to move forward.

If nothing comes before that date, rules involving the forthcoming Shropshire Council elections mean a decision will be delayed until after May 2017.

Regional health chief Wendy Saviour, director of commissioning operations at NHS North England, warned a decision may not come before the end of the month. She said the issue of funding was "fundamental" but added: "I cannot sit here and say that will be made by November 28."

Calls for admittance of flawed process

Telford & Wrekin Council has called on the body behind the reorganisation of Shropshire's hospitals to admit the process is flawed.

The council says Future Fit bosses have still not properly answered its concerns about the plans.

Council leader, Councillor Shaun Davies, and managing director Richard Partington have written to Future Fit's senior responsible officer David Evans urging him to confirm its flaws in the process, which they say are causing it further delays.

It comes after it was revealed that a date for the board to meet to decide on a preferred option is still weeks away.

Members of the Future Fit board are expected to discuss the options for reorganising emergency care at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal on November 28.

Councillor Davies says he welcomes any delay that would allow more time for the NHS to address the council's concerns.

Cllr Davies said: "It is important that, if the public are to be consulted, they are done so with information that is fair, transparent and has been arrived at objectively and impartially.

"I have serious concerns that, as things stand, this would not be the case and the public would be misled.

"We are asking Mr Evans to confirm publicly that Future Fit now recognises there are flaws in their process that need sorting out before this goes any further

"I have re-iterated to Mr Evans that a judicial review is something we want to avoid if at all possible and that is why we continue to raise our concerns now to give the Future Fit programme the opportunity to listen and properly respond to these.

"Future Fit has already taken three years and millions of pounds to arrive at where we are now and if extra time is needed to ensure the proper, fair, legal and transparent process is followed, this must happen.

"If the existing flawed process had been allowed to run its course, the process to downgrade PRH would already be well under way."