Future Fit: Public consultation responses discussed by health bosses
Health bosses met to discuss the findings of the Future Fit public consultation ahead of a report being published on Monday.
About 60 people, including senior representatives from health organisations, councils and patient representatives from across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales, took part in an all-day workshop.
The Future Fit programme board had the opportunity to receive and comment on the thousands of responses to the consultation, which ran from the end of May to September.
Independent consultation specialist, Participate Ltd, has reviewed the feedback and written a report.
Representatives from the organisation talked people through the coding and analysis of all responses to the consultation, which included 18,742 surveys, 203 letters and emails and feedback from hundreds of meetings, events and focus groups.
David Evans, chief officer of Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “We are delighted that more than three per cent of local people responded to the consultation and we have listened carefully and considered their concerns, comments and suggestions.
“We have also heard updates and commented on the ongoing work around community and non-emergency travel and transport activity, ambulance modelling, the impact that any changes to hospital services may have on seldom heard groups and the proposed plans to improve community services for health and care closer to home.”
Dr Simon Freeman, accountable officer for Shropshire CCG said: “Over the last five years, the programme board’s role has been to agree, lead and coordinate the Future Fit programme and I am grateful to them for their support in helping to get us to this crucial stage.
“The two meetings we have held so far have enabled both CCGs, health and local authority partners and patients to hear and consider what individuals and organisations have told us during the consultation.
"We have now identified a number of pieces of work that we need to take our time to consider before progressing to making a decision about the future of hospital services in the new year.”
Just over half of the online and hard copy surveys received were from the Telford and Wrekin area.
Nearly 70 per cent of those who responded to the consultation were aged 48 or older, while 16 to 26-year-olds represented just four per cent of the responses.
Under the Future Fit plans, there will be a single emergency centre in the county based at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital or Telford's Princess Royal Hospital.
The alternative site would deal with planned care.
Health commissioners are expected to make a final decision on the proposals early next year.
For more information visit nhsfuturefit.org
