Future Fit: Politicians meeting Jeremy Hunt over 'disarray' of Shropshire NHS
A delegation of MPs and council leaders was heading to London on Tuesday to tell Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt about their fears over the "disarray" of the NHS in Shropshire.
MPs Mark Pritchard and Lucy Allan will be joined by Shropshire Council leader Malcolm Pate and chief executive Clive Wright, Telford & Wrekin Council supremo Shaun Davies and several other councillors at the meeting.
They are raising concerns about the Sustainability and Transformation Plan for healthcare across Shropshire and Mid Wales, which they said focused too much on emergency hospital services.
Mr Wright and Councillor Pate are also meeting with local government minister Marcus Jones today to discuss fears over funding for adult social care.
Councillors Pate and Davies pledged ahead of the meeting to tell Mr Hunt that investment in community-based approaches could substantially reduce demand on hospital services and ultimately save the NHS money by keeping people well.
They also said they would stress that Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group needing to save just over £20 million could put community approaches at risk.
It comes after Shropshire and Telford CCGs last month failed to reach a verdict on a recommendation to establish a sole A&E unit for the region at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and move women and children's services from Telford's Princess Royal.
Councillor Pate said: "Shropshire's local NHS is in disarray. There is no confidence in the process or leadership locally."
Councillor Davies said: "We have long argued that the Future Fit reconfiguration of hospital services has been a farce. We have always been clear on the need to have two A&E departments serving Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin."
