Telford Council vows to take hospital fight to new PM

Under the plans Shrewsbury's A&E would become an emergency centre, while Telford's would be an urgent care centre

A council has vowed to take its fight over the restructure of hospital services to the new prime minister.

Telford Princess Royal will lose its A&E and become an urgent care centre, while Royal Shrewsbury will become the main emergency centre for Shropshire, under plans approved locally in 2019.

Telford & Wrekin Council's leader Shaun Davies said it was a "downgrade" for his constituents.

Health bosses said the plans would improve facilities and care quality.

In 2018, the government agreed to pay £312m towards the proposal to move A&E services from Telford, which would also become the home of planned care.

Shrewsbury, which is 18 miles (28km) away, would become an emergency centre rather than an A&E and house most women and children's services.

Last week the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England's joint investment committee approved Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust's strategic outline case for the restructure.

It means the trust, which runs both hospitals, can begin work on an outline business case.

'Desperately worried'

Dr John Jones, executive medical director at the trust, said the plan will mean the hospitals are "more resilient, reduce cancellations and delays, and ensure patients are seen more rapidly".

He said the approval was "a major milestone towards enabling us to deliver better health outcomes and a vastly improved experience of care for our communities".

But the plans have previously been branded by people in Telford as a "smokescreen" for a downgrade and would mean they have to travel further for emergency care.

Councillor Andy Burford, Telford and Wrekin's cabinet member for heath and social care, told BBC Radio Shropshire that residents were "desperately worried" about the future of their health service, adding there was "absolutely no evidence" the changes would provide improvements for Telford.

Mr Davies said he planned to refer the plans to the new prime minister and health secretary as soon as they were in post.

"It is absolutely vital they take a fresh look at the plans as a matter of urgency," he added.

"We are on the side of local people and will take every action necessary to fight and challenge the proposed changes."

Shrewsbury's Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski, said: "These two hospitals do not serve Shrewsbury and Telford, they serve the whole of Shropshire and mid-Wales, and it is extremely important that we all come together now, cross party, to get behind these proposals."

Work on the scheme was put on hold in February 2020 because of the pandemic and the costs were then understood to have reached £500m. The trust was told to rework the plan to fit the £312m budget.