Letter: Hats off to Telford & Wrekin Council over its bid for review on Future Fit
Telford & Wrekin Council is to be warmly applauded for its stated intention to seek a judicial review of the farcical recommendation of the Future Fit organisation, to downgrade the PRH.
Dragging them before the courts will expose the reasons behind their ludicrous decision. As far as I am aware no evidence has entered the public domain to show that any, of the relevant statistical facts which favoured the PRH, have been considered. These include capital investment, project timing, growth of Telford, indices of deprivation, potential for expansion, age of facilities, demographics, age profiles, birth rates and transport links.
T&W has quite reasonably asked for details of the weighting given to these factors. If and when they get the data it must be made public.
No-one makes any supporting comments: The views of five hospital staff, published in the Star on December 2 did not contain a single word as to why the PRH should be downgraded, neither did the article headed "Medics insist changes will save more lives". A video made by the NHS trust, at Shropshirestar.com, clearly but unintentionally shows that clinicians have no preference for the PRH or the RSH.
David Evans, joint senior responsible officer for NHS Future Fit, is quoted in the Shropshire Star, December 1, as saying: "There was no recorded vote on moving forward with the recommendation in favour of Shrewsbury." But added there had been "a clear consensus on the board (that) it was the right way to go".
It's Alice in Wonderland, a decision that affects hundreds of thousands of people and future generations is not subjected to a vote. When the recommendation goes before a joint committee of T&W and Shropshire CCGs the vote, if one is taken, must be recorded so we may see who voted for what, no more secrecy.
The current recommendation may in fact be three-years-old.
David Evans, in a Future Fit statement, December 1 said: "We have been working towards this, (my emphasis), recommendation for the past three years and I would like to thank everyone involved". This is frightening. So the current recommendation existed, as their target, three years ago. Is there a hidden agenda somewhere? In the interests of current and future generations this recommendation must be vetoed, even if it has to be fought in the highest court in the land.
Bob Groom, Trench
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