Shropshire trust told to come up with cheaper option over hospitals

The proposal originally known as Future Fit includes downgrading Telford's A&E unit

Health bosses have been told to come up with a cheaper option for reconfiguring Shropshire's two main hospitals.

In 2018 the government agreed to pay £312m towards a proposal that includes downgrading Telford's A&E unit, but the costs of that original proposal are now estimated to be well above £500m.

NHS England has said the outline case needed to have an option costing £312m.

The trust said it was exploring how standards could be best met with funding that would be made available.

The organisation, which runs Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, said it was working closely with its local health system partners.

The government had agreed to pay £312m towards the proposal originally known as Future Fit, which as well as downgrading the A&E in Telford includes moving maternity and other women's services back to Shrewsbury.

Health minister Edward Argar has said as of 11 January the Department of Health and Social Care had not received the strategic outline business case, as it did not pass NHS England and NHS Improvement's (NHSEI) "fundamental criteria review".

Plans have included moving maternity and other women's services back to Shrewsbury

Responding to a written parliamentary question from Shrewsbury Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski, Mr Argar said that in October NHSEI received the case and "determined that it required further work and provide an option compliant with the £312 million allocation".

He added written feedback on the case was issued in November to The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which was amending it, and it was expected to be resubmitted in the first quarter of this year.

A spokesperson for the trust said it was continuing to work on options.

They added: "We've already addressed the vast majority of the questions raised through the initial feedback and are continuing to explore how the outputs of the extensive public consultation and current national standards can be best met with the funding that will be made available."

Simon Whitehouse, from the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board, said its plans were "crucial" in terms of ensuring its services and buildings were "fit for purpose in the years to come".

He added: "As part of the normal process for a scheme of this size, we would expect there to be an ongoing exchange of information and clarification.

"This is the current position with NHS England and NHS Improvement, who continue to work closely with us and are a key partner in helping make this proposal a reality."

The Telford and Wrekin Council leader, Labour's Shaun Davies, said: "The world has changed significantly since the original Future Fit proposals were put forward, not least as a result of the pandemic and the intense pressure the NHS is under.

"Rather than working up plans to a monetary figure that is no longer relevant, the proposals need to be fundamentally reviewed to meet the needs of our communities in a post-pandemic world both now and for the future."