Future Fit faces another delay
Plans to reorganise Shropshire's health services are facing another delay, health officials have said.
Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin clinical commissioning groups are in the final stages of preparing for a public consultation on the Future Fit programme.
As part of the preparation for consultation health bosses have to follow a process, which includes providing formal assurance to NHS England and gaining its approval to proceed.
As part of this process, NHS England has asked the two CCGs to submit a number of clarifications relating to a recent review and hospital bed numbers.
But a spokeswoman for both CCG's said: "In order to fully assure NHS England, the CCGs have asked that the assurance panel set for October 2 is deferred for a short period of time.
"The CCGs will now submit the additional information to NHS England by October 6.
"We are expecting the assurance panel to be reconvened to take place soon after this date.
"We do not anticipate this will cause a significant delay and we will work closely with NHS England to ensure that we can begin the formal 14 week public consultation as soon as possible."
Bosses had hoped they could start public consultation in June, but due to not finding anyone to carry out the independent review, three months after it was announced, Future Fit was delayed further.
The Future Fit process, which could see one of the county’s A&E units set up at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital department downgraded, began more than three years ago.
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