A&E centre at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital set to grow under plan

The Princess Royal Hospital could get a new urgent care centre, bringing the current operation from the outpatients’ department closer to the emergency department.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust said the move, which would bring PRH closer in line with Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, was an effort to invest in their current facilities.

The application was submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council last week and would include a replacement ambulance canopy, hard landscaping and parking reconfiguration.

Sarah Biffen, interim chief operating officer at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: “This application is about investing in our facilities at our emergency department at the Princess Royal Hospital.

“It would also involve creating a GP streaming facility which would be co-located within the emergency department to improve services for our patients.

“The current service operates from within the Outpatients Department but it is important that this service is co-located within the Emergency Department, as it is at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.”

A decision on the plans is expected to be made in the coming months.

The news comes as the Future Fit process continues.

The recommended plans would see an emergency centre based at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, while the majority of day case surgery would be carried out at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital.

The consultant-led women's and children's unit would move to Shrewsbury under the plans, although Telford would retain a midwife-led unit.

NHS England said it was reviewing the Future Fit proposals backed by the county’s two clinical commissioning groups.

If NHS England validates the Future Fit plan then public consultation should begin soon after.