Telford and Shrewsbury A&E reorganisation plans 'on hold'

There would be one emergency and trauma department for Shropshire under the plans

Health bosses have refused to back plans to downgrade A&E services in Telford in favour of one emergency and trauma department based in Shrewsbury.

Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire clinical commissioning groups decided not to go to public consultation until more work was carried out.

The plans are part of the NHS Future Fit programme launched in 2014.

An independent expert will look at them before likely public consultation in 2017.

Under the current proposals, women and children's services would also move to Shrewsbury, despite a £28m centre opening in Telford in 2014.

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A spokesman for the Future Fit programme said there was acceptance by both groups that "no change" was not an option.

Dr Julian Povey, from Shropshire clinical commissioning group (CCG), said: "As a CCG we continue to support the process of Future Fit and are happy to support an independent review of the process which will allow us to move forward."

Dr Jo Leahy, chair of Telford and Wrekin CCG, said she wanted to emphasise the decision was "not an end to the process and we need to find a way to move forward together".

The Future Fit programme was established as it was deemed having hospital services across multiple sites in Shropshire meant services were struggling and incurring additional costs due to duplication.