Fears raised by nursing sister about moving critical care from Telford hospital

As part of the NHS Future Fit proposals A&E services would be downgraded and critical care carried out at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

The £312 million transformation of the two acute hospitals run by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) would also see consultant-led maternity services moved to a new 30,000 square metre building at the Shrewsbury hospital.

Telford & Wrekin councillor and NHS nursing sister Gemma Offland has highlighted the impact that downgrading accident and emergency services in Telford could have.

“I know full well exactly what impact this is going to have on our residents,” she said.

“Is moving services from one end of the county to the other actually going to help the situation? We are currently at capacity, staff are drained and patients aren’t currently getting the care that they need.

“Let’s get realistic about this without moving things around. The whole of the county need more services, not taking it away.

“Services should be on the doorstep at the point of call from when patients need it. I’m really passionate when it comes to health and social care across everything, because it has a detrimental impact not only on patients but the lives of our residents’ families.

“Not only is it travelling back and forwards, the stress that comes along with it and the impact on long-term conditions if something isn’t sorted at the point of call.”

An Independent Reconfiguration Panel recently confirmed that transformation plans at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital can continue.

However, it made a list of recommendations which included scrapping the phrase ‘A&E Local’ to describe downgraded emergency services at the Princess Royal as it ‘risked undermining patient safety’.

Telford & Wrekin Council passed a motion at their full council meeting last week.

It stated: “This council calls on NHS leaders locally and nationally together with the government to depart from the use of ‘A&E’ Local and calls on those Members of Parliament who have used it to apologise for adopting the term when it could undermine the safety of patients in the borough.”

Councillor Andrew Eade, Conservative group leader, argued that the Future Fit process was an NHS plan and not a Government one.

“They are supposedly the experts and I’m not saying I support that plan at all,” said councillor Eade.

“What we have before us is an absolute puerile and facile motion that says nothing of any relevance. The towel has been thrown in and what we have before us is a childish motion that talks about the Government’s A&E closure plan when we all know it’s an NHS plan.

“Asking MPs to apologise for using the term NHS Local when it was used by the hospital trust themselves. This whole motion says nothing and achieves nothing.”

Council leader Shaun Davies proposed the motion and argued that it was a Government plan.

He said that Matthew Hancock was the Health Secretary who signed it off and it was signed off again by another Health Minister before Christmas.

“The reality is that residents of Telford & Wrekin knew that this was a con trick,” said councillor Davies.

“Some 20,000 of them signed a petition that I delivered to Downing Street.

“Some issues are above party politics and about the place you live. This is that issue.

"I secured a commitment from the leader of the opposition that this would be immediately reviewed if there’s a Labour government.”