Shropshire Star

Star comment: Decisions needed on NHS care

The task facing our National Health Service is challenging. Locally it must balance finite resources against the need to provide the very best healthcare to the people of Shropshire and Mid Wales.

Published

The two challenges are seldom compatible. For the cost of providing the services that patients desire almost always outstrips the amount of resources that are available. And it is against that backdrop that we must consider the issues facing local health services.

Health is seldom out of the headlines. Whether it is changes to GPs’ surgeries, the over-use by patients of 999 ambulances, frustrating and inexplicable delays to the Future Fit process or everyday miracles performed by our region’s doctors, nurses and ancillary staff.

The future of the county’s Midwife Led Units is presently a cause for concern. Fears over its future refuse to go away and the temporary closure of the units in Bridgnorth, Ludlow and Oswestry – for up to six months – has done little to breed confidence.

It is therefore encouraging to hear SATH reiterate that the closures are only temporary and they will have no bearing upon the wider review of midwife services.

The question of Midwife-led Units taps into the heart of a conundrum that has dogged local health services in recent years. It is this; finding the balance between the community’s needs and the community’s wants.

We are living through a golden age for health care. Life expectancy has risen to unprecedented levels, demand is higher and the facilities available to medics are greater than ever before. Powerful drugs and advances in techniques have given medics unparalleled opportunities to provide remedies.

That has led to greater expectations than ever before on the part of the public. And yet such treatment costs. Total health spending in 2017/18 is £124 billion and it will rise by a billion by 2020 – by which time there will be a £30bn funding gap. Health managers have a daunting task.

Locally, it is encouraging to hear SATH promise that all views will be taken into consideration as part of a wider review. Along the way, it will make some difficult decisions.

What is clear is that things are not operating as anybody would like at the moment when it comes to the maternity services. Temporary closures present problems and increase the pressure on staff and patients. Whatever the outcome of the review, we simply have to address this problem so that all concerned know where they stand.