Future Fit: Calls for Shropshire's big health shake-up to be 'reconsidered'

Some members of the joint Shropshire/Telford and Wrekin Health Overview Scrutiny Committee believe failing to act on the negative feedback would make the 15-week consultation “meaningless”.

But others disagree, saying the survey period was “not a referendum”, but was instead designed to identify and address public concerns.

The Future Fit plans, if implemented, would see emergency and planned care carried out at separate hospitals.

Under option one, the single emergency centre would be based at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital while planned care would take place at the Princess Royal Hospital, in Telford.

Under option two the roles would be reversed.

The consultation ran from May to September last year and nearly two thirds of the 18,874 people who completed the survey opposed option one.

In their letter, Telford and Wrekin councillor Andy Burford and Shropshire councillor Karen Calder – who co-chair the committee – write: “Some members believe that the consultation has demonstrated that opposition to Future Fit’s proposed option is so strong that it is necessary for the proposals to be reconsidered.

“They note that, for a consultation to be meaningful, it should be able to influence the final decision that is made.

“Other committee members disagree with this perspective. They conclude that the consultation demonstrates that people like to have services located near to them, irrespective of broader strategic objectives.

“They note that although people in Telford and Wrekin who responded to the consultation were largely opposed to locating accident and emergency services in Shrewsbury, those in mid-Wales were largely supportive.

Challenges

“These members also note that the consultation’s purpose was primarily to identify and address issues with the proposals, rather than a referendum on whether to accept them.”

The letter is addressed to Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group chief officer David Evans and Shropshire CCG accountable officer Simon Freeman.

Elsewhere in the document, Councillors Burford and Freeman say committee members pointed out that, whichever option is chosen, “Shropshire’s size and dispersed population present challenges for travel and transport that the Future Fit programme would not be able to resolve”, but they acknowledge that mitigation will be put in place.

“Committee members also advised that measures to reduce the demands of travel for patients, particularly those living in rural areas, could be put into place without waiting for Future Fit to be implemented.

“Such measures include greater use of tele-healthcare consultations, better use of online booking of outpatient appointments and reducing the need for patients to return to clinics.”

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet to discuss the letter, the CCGs’ response to it, and the progress of Future Fit when it meets in Shrewsbury tomorrow.

Addressing the Telford and Wrekin CCG Governance Board, on Tuesday, Mr Evans said a joint meeting of both CCGs “could be held on January 29 or, if that is not possible, early February” to finalise the outline business case to proceed with the shake-up.