Future Fit: Calls made to scrap scheme ahead of crunch meeting

Labour Party officials across Shropshire and Mid Wales say the plans are 'not fit for purpose' and too many questions have been left unanswered.

Meanwhile, the South Shropshire Green Party says it balloted people in six county towns and an overwhelming majority voted that both A&Es at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital should remain.

Health bosses are expected to vote tonight on proposals to have a single emergency centre for the county, supported by walk-in urgent care centres both at RSH and PRH.

The recommendation is for Shrewsbury to host the emergency centre, with PRH taking over responsibility for planned care.

Six Labour Party branches in Shropshire and Mid Wales have called on Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups to withdraw the plans altogether.

They say there are still questions which haven't been answered, including arrangements on how the scheme will be financed and who will run the urgent care centres.

Concerns

Officials say concerns also remain around transport and increased ambulance emergency journey times.

Peter Bradley, chairman of The Wrekin Labour Party, said: “We’ve said from the outset that Future Fit is nothing more than a short-term, short-sighted cost-cutting exercise.

"It should be withdrawn and replaced by a properly designed and funded plan which meets all our community’s health needs for the long term, no matter who they are or where they live.”

South Shropshire Green Party said it arranged its own Future Fit ballot at street stalls in Bridgnorth, Church Stretton, Craven Arms, Bishop's Castle, Much Wenlock and Ludlow.

People were asked 'Should both Shrewsbury's A&E and Telford's A&E remain fully functioning A&Es?'

Craven Arms had the highest percentage of people – 99 per cent – agreeing both should remain.

Church Stretton had the lowest percentage, with more than 94 per cent of those balloted wanting A&E departments at both hospitals.

Hilary Wendt, coordinator of South Shropshire Green Party, said: "This is the clearest and strongest public message to the Future Fit Board that both Shrewsbury and Telford A&Es must remain open to serve emergency needs in these growing principal Shropshire towns and for their rural catchment populations.

"Whether the emergency be road, farming, industrial, domestic or any other serious injury or illness, in such emergencies the vital point is that every second counts.

"The geography of Shropshire and adjacent areas in Wales and Telford absolutely requires two fully functional A&E facilities.

"Distances are huge, road conditions build in delay, ambulance services are under intense pressure and anything that causes delay when a small child has suspected meningitis or an older resident has a heart attack is contrary to well-known health care principles and is unacceptable.

"If getting fast to the nearest emergency care isn't critical when needed, why do ambulances have blue lights and sirens and why is the provision of air ambulances so important?

"We are a rich nation and our claim to be civilised relies on us having the best emergency health care in the places we need it – and that means retaining our A&Es at our hospitals in Shrewsbury and Telford."

Benefits

Health bosses say the Future Fit programme will lead to better conditions, top facilities and will make it easier to recruit the staff needed, reducing the need for agency workers.

Clinicians have also commented that separating emergency and planned care will bring other benefits, such as fewer planned operations having to be cancelled.

Thousands of people contributed their views to the Future Fit plans during a public consultation last year.

Tonight's meeting takes place at Harper Adams University, near Newport, at 6.30pm.

It is also being live-streamed online at nhsfuturefit.org

Telford & Wrekin Council has arranged a bus for people without their own transport who may find it difficult to get to the venue.

It will pick passengers up from the lay-by outside Telford & Wrekin Council’s Darby House offices, Lawn Central, Telford, at 5.50pm.

Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis and donations can be given towards the cost of the journey.

Review

Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, Telford MP Lucy Allan and and Telford & Wrekin Conservative Group leader Andrew Eade have all asked Health Secretary Matt Hancock to intervene if RSH is chosen as the location for the county's emergency centre.

Mr Pritchard said: “This process and tonight’s likely decision has been driven by local doctors and clinicians. I respect that, but I think them choosing option one is a mistake, wrong and should be reviewed by the Secretary of State. This decision needs to be got right and I hope the Minister will intervene and look closely at it.

"My preferred choice is option two. That is also the preferred option by the overwhelming number of residents in Telford and Wrekin."

Ms Allan said: "Local hospital management are set to impose their plan for the future of our Princess Royal Hospital, against the wishes of residents, at a public meeting tonight. Every one of Telford’s elected representatives are completely opposed to this plan.

"With £312m of taxpayers’ money to spend on improving Shropshire’s hospital care, it ought to be possible for local hospital management to make a case from a Telford perspective, as to how residents could benefit. They won’t - they will only say that if Telford’s new Women and Children’s centre and our emergency care move to Shrewsbury - ‘the wider population’ will benefit.

"The failure to engage with the Telford perspective or the needs of our community will be fatal to this chaotic project. Once the decision is made the Health Secretary can intervene. I have written to Matt Hancock today to ask him to act."

Councillor Eade added: "I am joining with the MPs in trying to get a review of any decision that does not fully recognise Telford and Wrekin's growing population.

"I am asking for the decision expected at tonight's meeting to be called-in by the Secretary of State for Health. I hope that all local councillors, irrespective of party will join us in this endeavour."