'An inefficient system' - Shropshire health campaigner calls for NHS cash to transform community services

David Sandbach, who used to run Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital but is now retired and spends time holding health leaders to account, told a council committee that commissioners need to make big decisions.

A top official from Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Shropcom) confirmed that Mr Sandbach was correct when he told Telford & Wrekin Council’s health scrutiny committee that a ‘virtual ward’ service operates for 12 hours a day.

Virtual wards are a way that patients can stay in their own homes instead of having to go into acute hospitals.

“When the 12 hour bit is up and someone’s condition deteriorates they have few options except to call 111 or 999 and then end up being reprocessed by an inefficient system,” Mr Sandbach said.

“You are spending about £4.7 million on virtual wards but that has to increase by at least double to match a physical ward which runs for 24 hours.”

The drive to move into community services is being pushed by the Government as part of its 10 year plan.

And Gemma McIver, deputy chief operating officer at Shropshire Community Health Trust told Thursday’s committee meeting of the many things that are happening to shift towards community care.

This included the closure of two rehabilitation wards at the county’s acute hospitals in 2023 with the £3.6 million budget reinvested in community services.

The committee was told that 73 of the 75 jobs in the two wards were “redeployed” with two people “leaving because it was right for them.”

Urgent care services have also been expanded from finishing at 8pm to go on until midnight.

“We are starting to see the green shoots of improvement,” she said, adding that the virtual wards are 90 per cent full.

It is all helping to keep patients out of using the acute hospitals in Telford and Shrewsbury.

The Shropcom leader thanked Mr Sandbach for “advocating” on behalf of community services and added that the trust is “ahead of the game.”

Mr Sandbach, who regularly also attends the boards of NHS organisations, said: “The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust consumes over half a billion pounds. The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt hospital takes another £120 million.

“The budget for community services is £120 million.

“We are spending £600 million to fix people up.”

He claimed that “everybody wins” if community services have more of the NHS pie.

“The integrated care board need to make a decision very, very soon about how much of the pie is going to into the side of the community,” he said.

He added that he thinks community services need to have £60 million pumped into them to create a “truly modern 21st century community service.”

Councillor Derek White (Labour, Madeley & Sutton Hill) chairs the committee and said: “You (community services) need a proper investment.”

A spokesperson for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin did not comment on Mr Sandbach’s figures but recognised the importance of shifting care into the community.

They said: “We recognise the importance of shifting more care into community settings, in line with the Government’s ambition to move from hospital to community care, which will mean working closely with system partners including the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector, general practice and community pharmacy.

“Any changes to funding arrangements need to be considered carefully on a service-by-service basis to ensure they align with the National Neighbourhood Framework, the ambitions of the 10 Year Plan, and continue to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients.”