Health leaders set the date for a decision making meeting on future of hospital services

Health leaders have today announced that a decision making meeting on the future of local hospital services for people across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales will take place on 29 January 2019. This is subject to a further meeting with NHS England and a further meeting of the Future Fit Programme Board.

The Future Fit Joint Committee of Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will meet on 29 January to make a decision on the two options designed to transform the hospital services provided at the county’s two hospitals:

Option 1:     The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital becomes an Emergency Care site and the Princess Royal Hospital becomes a Planned Care site. (This is the CCGs’ preferred option).
    
Option 2:     The Princess Royal Hospital becomes an Emergency Care site and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital becomes a Planned Care site

Under either option, a 24-hour urgent care centre, outpatient services and tests would be available at both hospitals.

The Committee will be made up of 15 voting members, which includes three clinicians, two lay members and one executive from each CCG Governing Bodies, plus two voting independent clinicians and a voting independent chair.

David Evans, Chief Officer at NHS Telford & Wrekin CCG commented: “We are pleased to be able to announce the date for this important meeting, in which members of the Joint Committee will be asked to make a final decision on the future of clinical services at the two hospitals. On behalf of both CCGs, I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the Future Fit process over the last five years and has helped to get us this point - our patients and communities, doctors, nurses and other health professionals, the voluntary sector and partner organisations.”

Dr Simon Freeman, Accountable Officer for NHS Shropshire CCG commented: “This meeting marks the end of a conscientious consideration phase in which both CCGs, together with key stakeholders, have taken time to hear, reflect and comment on the feedback from the public consultation, which took place from 30 May to 11 September 2018.

“In addition, we have looked in detail at the additional work that has been ongoing for some months. This includes public, community and non-emergency travel and transport activity, ambulance modelling, the impact that any changes to hospital services may have on seldom heard groups and the proposed plans to improve community services for health and care closer to home”.

The conscientious consideration phase has involved a series of meetings, including the Joint HOSC of Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire Councils, Powys Community Health Council and the boards of Powys Teaching Health Board, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust.

Anyone is invited to attend the Joint Committee meeting, which will be held in public at 6.30pm on Tuesday 29 January 2019 at Harper Adams University, Edgmond, Newport TF10 8NB. The meeting will be live streamed via a webcast that can be accessed at www.nhsfuturefit.org