Future Fit: Call for delay over legal action in Shropshire A&E row

The leader of the Labour majority council Shaun Davies has called an extraordinary general meeting following the recommendation by the board of Future Fit to downgrade Telford's Princess Royal Hospital's A&E department and move many of its services, along with the services provided by its women and children's centre, to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

The meeting, to be held on Wednesday at Telford College of Arts & Technology, will call on council members to endorse the launch of a judicial review into the process, if necessary.

But Councillor Andrew Eade, Conservative leader and ward member for Church Aston and Lilleshall, says that there will not be enough time to seek proper advice before the council meets to discuss going forward with a legal challenge.

In a letter to Councillor Davies, he has urged him to delay the meeting, until they have a "complete overview" of the situation.

He said: "The decision by the Future Fit board is a recommendation, albeit one which provides the most expensive option and flies in the face of common sense.

"A decision to uproot the Women's and Children's Centre after only two years and costing £28 million is perverse and cannot be supported.

"We will oppose this move by all means possible.

"As for proposing to give the go-ahead to spend a large amount of public money on a judicial review, my understanding is that it should be based on process and of course the correctness of moving the Women and Children's unit.

"However, as you have already said, legal advice will not be fully available until 6pm on Tuesday and until then no proper view or decision can be taken.

"It does not seem sensible to me to pre-empt this advice in a motion when that decision could be properly taken by you without arranging an EGM on Wednesday.

"I believe that the best way forward is to delay the EGM until we have all the advice and a complete overview of the position and fight ahead.

"We would certainly welcome and want to work jointly as happened the last time we faced this type of fight over our hospital.

"I believe that is the only way forward for us as the recommendations issued by Future fit have so far cost £3m and fly in the face of natural logic, common sense and natural justice."

Councillor Davies said he was disappointed with the response when the Conservatives had already voted to support a judicial review.

He said: "I am delighted that the motion already has cross-party support as Bill Tomlinson, the leader of the Liberal Democrats has already agreed to second the motion.

"I look forward to seeing how the Conservative party vote on Wednesday and I'm sure the residents of Telford & Wrekin will also await their vote."