Health bosses hit back at rumours that Telford A&E is to shut overnight
Health bosses have hit back at rumours that overnight closures of Telford's A&E are imminent.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) said its services "remained fragile" but there are no plans to shut services overnight at Princess Royal Hospital.
A statement released by the trust on Twitter said: "We are aware that there are again rumours circulating on social media that SaTH is preparing for the imminent overnight closure of A&E at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford. This is not the case.
"Whilst our service remains fragile, and conversations continue to ensure the safety and dignity of our patients, there has been no change since our last statement."
The trust said in July that it was examining what short-term measures could be taken ahead of a decision by Future Fit, which will shake-up services at Shropshire's hospitals.
Nigel Lee, chief operating officer at SaTH, said: “There has been no decision taken to suspend services at PRH overnight, but it is still crucial that we continue to work behind the scenes should that scenario become necessary.
Future Fit:
“I must once again emphasise that the suspension of services is not something we want and we are working hard to avoid this. However, it would be both irresponsible and dangerous for us not to have robust plans in place to ensure the continued safe and dignified treatment of our patients.”
Although the trust has recently recruited some additional consultants for its A&E departments, it said staffing remains a challenge in the emergency departments at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and PRH.
The trust said that talks about short-term measures have been ongoing since 2015.
SaTH previously agreed a plan to temporarily close A&E at PRH overnight if services become unsustainable.
Bosses say business plans have since been under constant review to ensure that, should it happen, there is as little impact as possible on patients.
