Campaigners call for full scrutiny over Future Fit

The original scheme, which will place the county’s main emergency centre in Shrewsbury and make Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital the site for planned care, was costed at £312m – but the leaked report states that inflation and other adjustments have caused the cost to rise to £498 million.

Gill George, chair of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Defend Our NHS, has called the project a 'shambles' and says it is paving the way for health leaders to "do the bits they want and to shelve the areas of work that are less important to them".

She has called on health bosses to publish the strategic outline case in full so it can be fully scrutinised.

Ms George said: "What we know at this stage is that Future Fit is a shambles.

"We know it means cuts in patient care – £17 million a year of cuts just from paying back the cost of shiny new buildings.

"We know it's about the devastation of care at PRH, and about worse care, fewer staff and more pressure on beds.

"Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust leaders need to stop hiding and publish the plans in full.

"And it's also time to look at alternatives to Future Fit cuts.

"It's time to invest in GP care, community NHS services, social care and preventive services.

"How about local politicians fight for the care we need, and for the funding that goes with it?"

She says it is time to pull the plug on the scheme and has called on Health Secretary Matt Hancock to withdraw his support for "this monstrosity of a project".

Challenge

Mr Hancock allowed the plans to go ahead in October, after calls for a review, but asked for proposals to be developed for an 'A&E Local' at PRH rather than the urgent care centre initially suggested.

Telford MP Lucy Allan, who started a crowdfunding campaign to mount a legal challenge, said it was more grounds to halt Future Fit.

She said: "Future Fit documents show their decision to locate vital hospital services in Shrewsbury was driven not by need, nor by a desire to narrow health inequalities, nor by taxpayer value for money, but by where consultants prefer to work. There must now be a limit to how much public money will be made available to accommodate this preference.

"Future Fit recognised that the best value for money option was to locate the new emergency centre and retain the Women & Children’s Centre at Telford’s PRH.

"Arguably this is also the best option in terms of narrowing health inequalities and improving health outcomes in more disadvantaged communities.

"Recent news of a 60 per cent rise in costs of this flawed project to £498m, made public only weeks after the formal sign off, suggests that fundamental elements of the plan were omitted when bidding for public money and when assessing alternative options. Undoubtedly, the costs will continue to rise, if the project is not properly managed.

"If the budget is to be increased to £500m, the option of a new standalone specialist emergency care hospital on the M54 must be considered.

"In January, I will question ministers on the baby deaths maternity scandal, special measures, inadequate CQC ratings, lack of chief executive, and now this spiralling cost overrun. It is surely time for a fresh approach to improving Shropshire and Telford’s hospital care and for the full attention of the Health Secretary and the Department of Health."

SaTH has declined to comment on the figures in the leaked document.