Shropshire Star

Future Fit: Shropshire could lose £312 million funding if public doesn't back scheme, MP warns

Former health minister Philip Dunne today warned Shropshire risks losing millions of pounds of NHS investment as battle lines were drawn over the future of A&E services.

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Artist's impression of the new-look hospitals

While civic leaders in Telford issued a rallying call this week ahead of the NHS Future Fit consultation, the Ludlow MP said the £312 million pledged by the government to fund changes to healthcare in the county could ‘go elsewhere’ if the public failed to support one of the two options.

Telford & Wrekin Council’s leader Shaun Davies said A&E should be based at Telford and called on the people of the town to make their views known when the consultation period starts next month.

The Labour council leader called on people to get behind ‘option two’ on the consultation, which would mean PRH becoming the county’s sole emergency centre, and retaining its women and children’s unit. Under the plan RSH would become the base for planned care in the county.

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The option is one of two going to public consultation, although ‘option one’ where RSH would become the emergency centre and home to the women and children’s facilities, is health chiefs’ preferred option and is being supported by Shrewsbury Town Council and MP Daniel Kawczynski.

Under both options, the two hospitals would also house urgent care centres to deal with walk-in patients.

Mr Dunne, who was removed from his post as a health minister in January, noted the figure of £312m was “the largest ever public sector investment in healthcare in Shropshire” and represented the largest new capital commitment anywhere from NHS England this year.

He warned: “To ensure this funding is delivered, it is crucial the public get behind the Future Fit plan and support it when the public consultation opens. I know all too well what can happen to investment in Shropshire healthcare if public support is derailed by those resistant to change, even if this is designed by clinicians to improve services – the investment simply goes elsewhere.”

The Future Fit review will go to public consultation before a decision is made.