Future Fit: Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies hits out at casting vote idea

That's the view of Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies, who said it was vital the authority was given a say on the work of an independent review into concerns over the Future Fit process.

Councillor Davies said there should be no move to appoint an independent chairman with a casting vote of the joint Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin's Clinical Commissioning Group panel that will make any decisions on recommendations from Future Fit.

It comes after members of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs failed to reach a decision on whether to back a recommendation to base a single A&E at RSH and move women and children's services there from the PRH.

The vote was split 6-6 purely on geographical grounds – with Shropshire's members backing the recommendation and Telford's opposing it.

Telford & Wrekin Council has argued that if the review does its job properly, then the CCGs will have the correct information in front of them to make a decision that is fair, legal and transparent.

Government minister David Mowat made the recommendation to appoint an independent chairman during a debate in Parliament last week.

Councillor Davies said: "Barely a month ago, the Future Fit board was convinced their appraisal was sufficiently robust to proceed with a decision that would have moved the £28 million Women's & Children's Unit and A&E services from Princess Royal Hospital.

"They now have been forced to concede, largely thanks to concerns raised by the council, that there are very significant issues with their appraisal and the lack of impact assessment into the proposed Women's & Children's Centre move.

"This would sound warning bells with most right minded people.

"However Future Fit appear to want to plough ahead and appoint on their terms a review and an 'independent person' to lead this review.

"To many people here, that's like putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop.

"I urge Future Fit to listen and take every step now to ensure that the public can have full faith in the independence of this review process and any decisions that follow."