Shropshire hospital revamp plans to go ahead - health minister

Council leader, Shaun Davies, said he was "beyond disappointed" that the Minister has chosen not to halt the plans

Major hospital transformation plans in Shropshire will go ahead, the health minister has confirmed.

Under plans for the county's acute services, Telford Princess Royal will lose its A&E, with Royal Shrewsbury set to become the main emergency centre.

Consultant-led women and children's services will also move from Telford to Shrewsbury.

The transformation programme was still the "best way forward" to improve acute services, the health minister said.

The controversial plans, had previously drawn criticism amid fears people would have to travel further for emergency care.

Shrewsbury, 18 miles (28km) away from Telford, would see its A&E replaced by an emergency centre, and would house most women and children's services.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed in September the government had received a letter from Telford & Wrekin Council, regarding the £312m scheme, known as Future Fit, and which called for the reorganisation of the two acute sites run by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).

The changes were approved by health bosses in 2019 but a government appointed Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) looked at the plans in response to concerns raised by the council.

In a letter to the council on 21 December, Mr Stephenson confirmed the changes would still go ahead subject to the IRP's recommendations.

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

NHS England had been asked to provide advice on how enhanced urgent care services at the Princess Royal could be delivered through an "A&E Local" model.

But the IRP report found use of the term must stop, as using the word "A&E" for anything other than an emergency department would be a "risk to patient understanding and safety."

The A&E in Shrewsbury would be replaced by an upgraded "Emergency Centre", while Telford's would be downgraded to an "Urgent Care Centre"

Council leader Shaun Davies said he was "beyond disappointed" that plans to downgrade the A&E would go ahead, describing it as a "bitter blow" for people in the borough.

He said residents would have to live with the consequences of the decision for "generations to come."

A spokesperson for SaTH added: "We welcome the IRP report and its overall conclusions which support the best way forward for hospital provision".