Council does not endorse Draft STP
Telford & Wrekin Council has stressed that it has not endorsed the NHS’s draft Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP), published today which lays out plans for healthcare across Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire.
The STP outlines how the NHS plans to transform and make financially sustainable all health services in Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire, including for hospital services and community services.
The Council has not been asked to endorse the STP and would not do so in its current form
Telford & Wrekin has made a number of responses to the draft plan including.
• A lack of confidence in the financial projections and the reliability of the rationale for future cost reductions
• Significantly more resources should be put into prevention and reconfiguration of community and primary care services, rather than these being concentrated on reconfiguration of hospital services
Leader Cllr Shaun Davies had publicly urged the STP’s Board to publish the draft STP which was widely supported by the Board.
He said: “I am glad that this is now available for people to see because it is vital that future plans across the whole local health economy are as transparent as possible.
“Given the Future Fit review into hospital services which threatens to close the PRH’s Women & Children’s Unit and A&E and move these services to Shrewsbury, this is even more important.
“We agree that the STP needs to secure more resources for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and that there needs to be significantly more resources put into prevention and reconfiguration of community and primary care services, rather than focussing these on reconfiguration of hospital services.
“The plans for GP services and local community care will play a key role in reducing pressure on hospital services.
“Our position remains that we believe there should be two A&Es covering Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin and that the £28m Women’s & Children’s Unit at PRH that opened two years ago was based on clinical need and that need has not altered.
“Equally issues that are constantly raised with councillors, such as the struggle most people have just to get a GP appointment in the borough, need sorting.”
Concerns about the draft STP are shared by Shropshire Council, who also have not endorsed it and say they are unlikely to do so in its current form.
The NHS draft STP can be viewed here
