Petition calling for fresh look at hospital shake-up up to nearly 16,000 signatures
Nearly 16,000 people have now signed a petition calling on the government to take a fresh look at controversial hospital plans.
The Telford & Wrekin Council-organised petition has seen 15,728 people sign up in a matter of days.
The council is calling on the new Health Secretary, Therese Coffey, to re-evaluate the 'Future Fit' plans for Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) – both managed by Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
The plans, which took a major step forward in recent weeks with government and NHS approval for the Strategic Outline Case, would see major changes at both sites.
RSH would become home to the county's only full 24-hour A&E, and would also take on consultant-led women and children's services, which are currently based at Telford.
PRH would become the centre for planned care, and would also have an A&E Local.
Telford & Wrekin Council has described the plans as an unacceptable downgrade.
A letter from Council Leader Shaun Davies to the Health Secretary states: "The controversial plans will see Telford’s main hospital – the Princess Royal – lose its 24 hour A & E department and become an A & E Local, a model which has attracted widespread criticism from medical bodies.
"Indeed, Telford would become the largest town in England, without a full A&E service.
"A borough the size of Telford, with a growing and ageing population, needs world class facilities, not a downgraded A & E Local that will be confusing and potentially dangerous for our residents.
"Furthermore the plans would move our consultant-led women and children’s services from Telford to Shrewsbury, while the Telford site would become the centre for planned care."
