73 per cent can’t see end to Future Fit saga
Nearly three-quarters of Shropshire Star readers who took part in an online poll do not believe that the controversial Future Fit process will come to an end this year.
Earlier this week, health bosses spoke of their hope for a conclusion to the process in 2018. It comes four years after a shake-up of hospital services in the county was first proposed.
In an online poll, the Shropshire Star asked its readers: “Can 2018 bring the Future Fit saga to an end?”
So far about 580 people have voted, with 73 per cent saying “no” and 27 per cent saying “yes”.
Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin clinical commissioning groups have signed off on a preferred option, which is for a single A&E unit at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, while planned services will be centred at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital.
The consultant-led women and children’s unit will move to Shrewsbury under the plans, although Telford would retain a midwife-led unit.
Walk-in urgent care centres would be set up at both RSH and PRH.
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But NHS England wants to know the whole process can be paid for before it can give the green light for a public consultation to begin.
The reorganisation is expected to cost in the region of £300 million.
Dr Simon Freeman, accountable officer for Shropshire CCG, said he was expecting news about the capital funding in the new year.
Previously, health campaigner Gill George, from Shropshire Defend Our NHS group, called on the process to be axed altogether.
She said: “Future Fit is an utter shambles,” she said.
“It’s got zero credibility. It’s on the brink of collapse. It’s time for health bosses to admit it’s past its sell by date. It’s about cuts and closures. It will lead to worse care wherever you live.
“Instead of Future Fit, they need to work with politicians to get funding for our NHS to get decent healthcare for all of us.”
Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, said: “I’m hopeful now we are entering the final stages of this long running saga and they will be successful in securing the £300m to undertake these changes.
“I’m doing everything possible to ensure the government looks favourably on these recommendations.”
He said it was important to move forward with the process and Telford & Wrekin Council could be blamed for past delays.
‘Time for a decision’
Time for talking about the Future Fit saga is well and truly over, according to one of the region’s MPs.
Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies has long been calling for firm decisions and a consultation to take place regarding the future of health services in the region.
And now he says it is time to end the talking and make a decision.
Mr Davies, who has in the past hosted a visit from Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, said: “Now we are told that the roughly £200 million needed to fund the reform must be agreed before the statutory 12 weeks’ public consultation can begin.”
In a blog post published this week, Mr Davies has gone over the whole saga and believes that bad decisions have been made throughout the process. A consultation was scheduled for the new year but that has now been shelved due to the latest setback.
Mr Davies added: “We have known for decades that the Shropshire NHS is not sustainable in the long run without reform. The catchment population will not sustain two district general hospitals.
“The position had been complicated by a chief executive of the trust which runs both hospitals, who decided to spend roughly £30 million on a new women’s and children’s Hospital in Telford, when anyone with an iota of strategic thinking capability would have known it should have been built at Shrewsbury.”
Make voice heard over A&E, plea
A politician is calling on people living in Montgomeryshire to ensure they have their say on the future of health care in Shropshire.
More than three years after it began, the wait is ongoing for a consultation to start on whether an emergency care centre will be based in Telford or Shrewsbury.
A preferred option has been put forward as the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Montgomeryshire Assembly Member Russell George has long called for the services to be at Shrewsbury, for the benefit of his constituents over the border in Wales.
In his new year message, he has called for a decision to be made and Mid Wales residents to have their say.
He said: “As we look forward to 2018, the preferred option for the future of health services which serve Shropshire and Powys will be one of the most important decisions made locally and we all have an opportunity to make our views known.
“After more than three years and £2 million, the Clinical Commissioning Groups have unanimously agreed to recommend that ‘emergency care services’ should be located at Shrewsbury and ‘Planned Care’ should be located at Telford.
“However, in order for this ‘preferred option’ to proceed, NHS England has to agree the circa £200m budget and there also has to be a public consultation. It is therefore vital that you, the people of Montgomeryshire, respond to the public consultation when it opens.”
