No new Greenfield hospital “common sense”
The decision by the NHS body deciding the future of hospital services in the area not to build a new hospital between Telford and Shrewsbury is simply common sense.
Following this latest development the Council says it remains more committed than ever to keep full 24 hour A&E services at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.
In March 2014, the Council said in the climate of savage cuts in the public sector, the cost of new hospital could not be justified and that is the best site for sustainable hospital services was the PRH
The NHS Future Fit programme has now ruled out the so-called Greenfield option on costs.
The Future Fit programme is now considering three possible options for the future of hospital provision in the area – but only one of these would see full 24 hour A&E services remain at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford. The other two options would see this at the Royal Shrewsbury.
If these latter options were chosen, one would see diagnostic and treatment services move to the PRH while women and children’s services, for which a £28 million specialist centre opened at the PRH in September 2014, move to the RSH.
The other option would see diagnostic and women’s and children’s service at the PRH. In both cases an urgent care centre would be at PRH.
Councillor Kuldip Sahota, Council leader, said: “Our position is absolutely clear and has been unanimously supported by full Council – 24 hour full A&E services must remain at the PRH.
“We said in March 2014 that a new hospital was simply not viable and the Future Fit programme has now agreed with us.
“I hope that the Board will now also agree that Telford, the area’s biggest population centre, must retain a full 24/7 A&E facility.
“The PRH site offers the best solution for a sustainable hospital, and space, for development.
“Telford is growing rapidly and is the also area’s main business centre, while Telford and has very clear and incontestable health needs. Health in Telford and Wrekin is worse than other parts of the region and significantly worse than the national average on many health indicators.
“I am sure that the public will find it astonishing that, having opened the £28 million Women and Children’s centre at PRH less than a year ago that the NHS can now be contemplating moving this to Shrewsbury as part of their options.”
People can keep in touch with A&E 4 Phttp://www.telford.gov.uk/aande4prhn via www.telford.gov.uk/aande4prh
