Pledge over A&E services

Miss Flint was responding to a Commons written question submitted by Shrewsbury & Atcham's Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski calling for an update on the future of the accident and emergency department at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

She told the MP that ongoing consultation on local NHS acute services related solely to paediatric and urology services.

She said: "The local NHS has reasserted its views that the current consultant-led accident and emergency departments at both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital will be retained."

The minister said this was in line with ministerial commitments given when the two hospital trusts were merged in 2003.

Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard accused Miss Flint of being "economical with the facts".

"The consultants will be on call, not on site, which will in effect reduce the existing consultant-led service," he said.

"Ministers ought to get out of Whitehall more and understand what's going on in hospitals. The public health minister's reassurance is baseless.

"Telford & Wrekin needs an on-site consultant service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, given the size of the population and known demands on the existing accident and emergency service."

Mr Pritchard said he had written to the hospitals' trust chief executive, Tom Taylor, asking to see data about visits to the two hospital A&E departments.

"I believe that the greater demand is from TF postcodes rather than SY postcodes, and so far this data has been kept from public view," said The Wrekin MP.

Yesterday, Mr Taylor told staff at the hospitals that "painful" changes were more acceptable than a takeover by another NHS organisation.

In an email to 5,000 workers, Mr Taylor said it was vital progress was made on projects to help bring about financial viability.

The email follows Mr Taylor's warning to his board earlier this week that every proposed staff and service change was being opposed.

By John Hipwood and Dave Morris