Politics being put before people in Shropshire hospital row, says Mark Pritchard MP

Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, has hit out at the council after it led a march at the weekend in support of hospital services.

He has accused councillors of creating fear and uncertainty with the march, which was organised against any cuts to services at the Princess Royal Hospital.

A row is ongoing over the future of the Women and Children's Centre at the hospital, which the MP for Telford, Lucy Allan, and the chief executive of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, Simon Wright, have both said will remain at the hospital.

But the leader of Telford & Wrekin Council claims that it will not be providing the same services as it does now. Mr Pritchard says has campaigned to protect hospital services over the last 15 years.

He added: "Despite reassurances from senior hospital bosses that the Women and Children's unit is now safe, certain Labour councillors want to create fear and uncertainty.

"They are putting politics before people and hoping for bad news rather than good news."

Mr Pritchard said the news that the centre was safe was common sense and the right decision.

The centre was completed in 2014 and cost £28 million and currently provides the county's only consultant-led maternity unit and specialist care for women and children.

Although it has been announced services will continue at the centre, Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies has called it a downgrade by the back door as it is understood it will not provide exactly the same services as it does now.

Outpatient services will remain at the centre but children's surgery will be performed at whichever hospital has the emergency unit.

The chief executive, Mr Wright, said about 70 per cent of women and children's care will be delivered at the centre but specialist paediatric care will be taking advantage of the greater expertise at the emergency centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Councillor Davies said: "The march was supported by over 1,000 people, including councillors from all political parties.

"Mark Pritchard needs to come clean on a number of questions; where will the inpatient beds be?

"Where will the paediatric high dependency unit be located? Where will paediatric surgery be located? Will the maternity unit continue to be consultant led? Which A&E is busier?

"Mark either does not understand what he is saying or, at worst, is misleading residents of Telford and Wrekin, as plans to downgrade the Woman and Children Unit are clear to see."