Future Fit: Telford & Wrekin Council demands independent review into 'flawed' Shropshire A&E plans

The council has put together a report analysing the data used to come to the preferred option and says there are errors in its methodology and assumptions.

Together these have skewed the financial and non-financial assessments in favour of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, it says.

Conducting its own research, the Princess Royal Hospital comes out as the preferred option.

Future Fit originally said that the financial and non-financial cases for the options would have a 50:50 weighting but the council says errors in the process and its interpretation have created a 98:2 bias towards the non-financial option, which favours Shrewsbury.

This information was presented to the Future Fit board on November 10, but only yesterday did they reply and announced that the bosses behind the restructure of hospital services would be appointing an independent expert to review the decision making process.

But council leader Shaun Davies said there is no set date for the review, which he feels should go ahead before a public consultation begins, something that will be launched following a decision on the preferred option being made by a joint board of both Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Groups on Monday.

He said: "Look at the information in a truly objective manner and you get a completely different outcome - when done right, the PRH is the preferred option.

"Next week the CCGs will be asked to make a decision of immense consequence, yet they are being asked to do so based on information presented in a flawed manner and recommendations with error-strewn assumptions.

"We warned the Future Fit programme of these concerns in October, but they have chosen blunder. They seem to simply not understand the issues we are raising.

"I don't for a minute expect the Future Fit programme to take my word for this - so urge them to agree with the council on an independent expert to verify what I believe - their information when used correctly shows PRH is the preferred option.

"These board members need assurance that they are making this decision using accurate information. They must have this to serve the best interests of those they are appointed to represent.

"I don't think they can say with any certainty or conviction that is now the case.

"People want a process that is fair, legal and objective information before them. Future Fit, I believe is currently none of these."

Councillor Davies said he was surprised and pleased to win the backing of all councillors in a vote taken on Wednesday that backed plans to take legal action if plans to downgrade accident & emergency services at PRH forge ahead.

At an extraordinary general meeting of the council Conservative, Liberal Democrat and independent members backed the Labour leader's motion to push for a judicial review over the future of hospital services.

The motion was seconded by Lib Dem leader Councillor Bill Tomlinson, who told the meeting: "I have no qualms with asking MPs to meet with Jeremy Hunt to get the promises he made to this area."

It was also backed by Conservative leader Councillor Andrew Eade, who has called for the Future Fit process to be scrapped.

The motion received 40 votes, the total number of participating councillors.

Councillor Davies said: "I'm pleased and surprised with the outcome. I'm glad they've seen sense in the end."

The two clinical commissioning groups will give their verdict on the future of hospitals in Shropshire at a meeting to be held next week.

A joint committee of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin CCGs will meet to receive the preferred option of the Future Fit Programme Board at 6.30pm on Monday at Telford International Centre.