Future Fit: 'Good news that health plans are unravelling' says MP Mark Pritchard

Mr Pritchard said it is clear that the Future Fit proposals should not move services out of Telford.

It comes after members of the two clinical commissioning groups representing Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin rejected NHS Future Fit board's recommendations during a meeting on Monday.

The Future Fit review recommended that the best of four options would be to have one A&E serving Shropshire and Mid Wales at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. The Princess Royal Hospital's Women and Children's unit would also be moved to RSH.

All six panel members from Shropshire CCG voted for taking the plans to public consultation – but the six members representing Telford & Wrekin CCG voted against.

The whole process will now go to an independent review before any progress can be made, although Telford & Wrekin Council has pledged legal action if necessary to block changes.

Mr Pritchard said: "It is clear that the Future Fit recommendations do not meet the necessary financial or clinical outcomes required to locate services out of Telford.

"The whole plan seems to be finally unravelling, which is good news."

Mark Pritchard, has also vowed to meet Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in a bid to keep A&E and women and children's services at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital in January.

Earlier this week, the Wrekin MP, said moving the children's unit "would cost lives" and he would "fight the proposals all the way".

Mr Pritchard added he would be inviting Telford Tory MP Lucy Allan, Telford & Wrekin Council's Labour leader Shaun Davies, Telford's Conservative leader Andrew Eade and Shropshire Council leader, Tory Malcolm Pate, to the meeting, which will be held in January.

Shrewsbury Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski said yesterday he was creating a "task force" in which he would assemble clinical expertise and lobby the Government to intervene and implement the changes.