Shropshire Star comment: Result of survey no surprise
The future shape of accident and emergency services in Shropshire is the county’s own version of the Brexit divide.
When two becomes one, which one should survive, and which one should be closed? It is a recipe to split the county. The choices are between the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.
If you live in Shrewsbury you want to keep the accident and emergency unit there. If you live in Telford you want to keep it there.
However, unlike Brexit, there is a solution which could please everyone, as shown by a local poll, conducted by the South Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Green Party among people visiting Telford’s Southwater.
The question was: “Should both Shrewsbury A&E and Telford A&E remain fully functioning A&Es?” And the answer was “yes.” This was not just a majority answer. Of the 214 responses, all wanted both units retained.
The survey results will not surprise anyone. In an ideal world, two fully staffed A&Es serving a county the size of Shropshire – not to mention a significant chunk of Mid Wales – would be the preferred option.
Of course the world is far from ideal. And the question was not a real world question, because the option of keeping both A&Es is not on the table. Far from it. Salopians have repeatedly been told “things cannot continue as they are”.
The strange thing about that is that the Future Fit process has dragged on for years, and in the meantime things have continued as they are.
And if the Future Fit strategy collapsed and the health chiefs had to go back to the drawing board, then it might be the case that things would have to continue as they are for some years yet – unless, as previously threatened, the Telford A&E faced overnight shutdowns caused by staffing shortages.
The “yes” vote in this poll in support of the notion of keeping both A&E units can be seen in the context of other solutions being worse ones for Shropshire.
No doubt the decision-makers will dismiss it as a vote for an unattainable dream. You could say that. Another way of looking at it would be that Salopians want a fully-funded, fully-staffed health service, meeting the expectations of the people who live here.
