Concern over Future Fit finances
Concerns have been raised over potential finance arrangements for the £312 million Future Fit scheme.
The breakdown of public money and public-private partnership money – which will jointly finance the scheme – is not yet known, a meeting of Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire Council's joint health overview and scrutiny committee heard yesterday.
It comes as a public consultation on the plans to shake-up the county's hospital services is due to launch at the end of the month if Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) gives the final go-ahead today.
Councillor Andy Burford, chairman of the joint committee, said it was a concern that a breakdown in finances for the scheme was not available.
He said: "When we are talking about making decisions on the clinical model any member of the public would want to know that the finances stack up."
Dr Simon Freeman, accountable officer for Shropshire CCG, told the meeting it would be a "mixed capital solution" and NHS England found that both options which will be consulted on are "affordable".
The preferred Future Fit option, which has been signed off by both CCGs, is for the county's emergency centre to be based at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) to take on responsibility for planned care.
It would be supported by two urgent care centres, based at RSH and PRH.
The second option would be for PRH to house Shropshire’s emergency department and for RSH to become a planned care site.
David Evans, chief officer for Telford & Wrekin CCG, said the reason for the public consultation was to understand what impact each option will have on the community.
Shropshire Councillor Heather Kidd, a member of the joint committee, raised concerns about the impact any shake-up will have on ambulance services.
She also voiced concerns over whether further elements which will need to be considered in the future could deem the scheme unaffordable.
Mr Evans told the meeting: "This is about how these options impact on people and their families.
"We have to provide adequate ambulance services for the population no matter which option goes forward."
He said the CCGs were also committed to funding care closer to home.
Telford & Wrekin CCG's governance board will be holding an emergency meeting at lunchtime today where members will decide whether to approve amendments to the consultation documents, as well as a recommendation that a 14-week public consultation should start on May 30.
Shropshire CCG's governing body has already given its approval for the consultation to begin.
