The future of hospital services for Telford and east Shropshire is to go to public consultation after health bosses were told they have secured the required funding to deliver the Future Fit plan.
There are two options; one would involve siting emergency care in Shrewsbury and planned care in Telford. It would mean the downgrading of the Princess Royal Hospital’s full-time A&E department to an Urgent Care Centre and the loss of the Women and Children’s Centre, which opened less than four years ago costing £28m. The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital would be the base for the county’s only full-time A&E.
The alternative option is for Telford to have emergency care and, with it, a fully functioning A&E department and the retention of the Women and Children’s Centre. Shrewsbury would have planned care.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks – visit nhsfuturefit.org for further information.