Future Fit: Councillor slams Labour health chief’s call to halt process

Labour Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth claimed the £300 million Future Fit process, that will decide the future of the NHS services in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales, should be halted.

He made the comments on a visit to the Shropshire Star offices in Ketley last week.

Mr Ashworth said the proposals, which would see all the county’s emergency services moved to an expanded “super hospital” in Shrewsbury should be put on hold to allow for a fresh review of health care in Shropshire.

Hospital bosses have said the county’s A&E services all need to be brought under one roof so they can recruit and retain top medical staff who are reluctant to work under the present split-site arrangement.

Mr Ashworth said a Labour government would put an extra £37 billion into the NHS, which would make it easier to recruit staff.

But Mid Wales health campaigner and county councillor Joy Jones has reacted angrily to the comments, and claims more money would be wasted by halting any sort of decision.

She said: “What does he want to do, waste even more money on this?

“I just don’t get why he has made these comments, what does he think it is going to do?

“We have a crisis in the NHS here and by delaying the decision on Future Fit event further, it will just topple the NHS in Shropshire over.

“We are hoping for a decision soon after the upcoming consultation and all he has done has tried to set that back.

“Where has he been beforehand. He has just now decided to put his head about the parapet.”

Councillor Jones was also left incensed when the politician failed to mention Mid Wales in any of his comments.

He mentioned problems in Shropshire and Telford but not Mid Wales.

She said: “It is fair to say that his comments on that have left me very angry and frustrated.

“Do we not matter in Mid Wales?

“Does he want people in Powys to die as a consequence of this?

“I appreciate he has offered all this money to the NHS if Labour do manage to get elected, but it is all just pie in the sky because they haven’t been elected.

“What we need now is for the process to go ahead.

“It is detrimental to Shropshire, Telford and Mid Wales if Future Fit does not proceed.”