Shropshire Star

Telford & Wrekin Council to request A&E review ‘in days’

Telford & Wrekin Council says it expects a formal objection to Future Fit to be submitted within days.

Published

The authority has been under fire in recent weeks over the fact that the document requesting a review has not been lodged with the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock.

During a visit to Princess Royal Hospital last week the Health Minister said he could order an independent review of the decision, but that he had not yet received a formal request – without which he is not legally allowed to start the review process.

Now a spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council has confirmed they expect the request to be submitted to Mr Hancock within days.

Council leader Shaun Davies said they had to make sure the request was watertight and were consulting with lawyers and academics on its content.

He said: “It is really important to realise it is not a letter or a simple pro-forma form, it is effectively the basis of our legal argument.

“The first stage is that the minister will review our submission, and it is a prima facie test – is there enough to refer for a review. If he looks at it and says no then people will question our submission.

Important

“It is really important we get it right and we are consulting and engaging with leading academics and lawyers on this.

“These are academics who have been involved in other successful referral applications.”

The Future Fit plans, which were agreed last month, would see Royal Shrewsbury Hospital taking over women & children’s services from the Telford hospital.

The Shrewsbury hospital would also become the county’s only emergency centre while Princess Royal Hospital would take on responsibility for planned care.

There has been considerable opposition to the proposals in Telford & Wrekin with thousands joining a march against the plans in November last year.

Speaking during a visit to Princess Royal Hospital last week Mr Hancock said: “I am not actually in a position to intervene because despite receiving a letter from the council, I do not know why, I have not received a formal request for me to look at this.”

The minister added that if he receives a formal request he would consider it “extremely carefully” and would make an “objective assessment of the best thing to do”.