Shrewsbury MP 'losing confidence' in county's health bosses over A&E reorganisation delays

Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, Daniel Kawczynski criticised bosses at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust (SaTH) over the reorganisation of the county's hospitals.

During questions to the Leader of the House of Commons, the Shrewsbury and Atcham MP called for a debate about the quality and efficacy of NHS management.

In his question, Mr Kawczynski said: "My right honourable Friend will know that this year alone we are spending nearly £190 billion of taxpayers’ money on the NHS. Spending on the health service is increasing every year as a percentage of overall Government spending.

"We are very proud in Shropshire that my right honourable Friend, the Member for Ludlow (Philip Dunne), and I secured £312 million for major modernisation of our local A&E services, but not a penny of that money has been spent, four years after we secured it.

"Can we have a debate in Government time about the quality and efficacy of various levels of NHS management? Certainly, in my trust, I am starting to lose confidence in them."

The comments refer to Future Fit, the reorganisation plans for Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

Under the plans, the county's main A&E would be relocated to Shrewsbury, along with consultant-led women's and children's services. However, the project has been subject to numerous delays.

The most recent of these was at the turn of the year when NHS officials asked SaTH to submit a scaled-back plan for the work, over concerns that the initial business case for the proposal would cost more than the £312m set aside by the Government.

In his response, Mark Spencer, the Leader of the House of Commons, paid tribute to Mr Kawczynski's work holding the authority to account.

He added: "He will be aware that the Government have introduced a £39 billion package through the health and social care levy—a huge investment in our health services—but he is right that that must also go hand in hand with reform and restructure to ensure that taxpayers’ money is invested properly and spent efficiently."

Mr Kawczynski comments come a little over a week since he last raised the subject at Prime Minister's Questions.

In response, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the Department for Health and Social Care had recently received the strategic outline case and it was still being processed.

He added: "But I can tell him the trust is aiming to present the full business case in 2023, with construction starting in the same year."