The NHS Future Fit Programme Board today (Wednesday 30 November 2016) agreed proposed options for the future of emergency and critical care in Shropshire.
Simon Wright – Chief Executive
Although a preferred option has been put forward by the NHS Future Fit Programme Board, Board members have also recommended going to public consultation on three options: no change; Emergency and Trauma at RSH and Planned Care at PRH; or Emergency and Trauma at PRH and Planned Care at RSH.
Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will now consider this proposal. If they support the proposal, a full public consultation will take place.
The following is a statement from Simon Wright, Chief Executive at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, in response to today’s decision.
He said: “Clinicians, wider staff, patients and partner organisations helped to decide the proposed options, which have been the subject of financial and non-financial appraisals.
“We always said this was not about closing the A&E at one of our hospitals, but about ensuring we have two vibrant hospitals for the future, together with a sustainable workforce.
“In fact, many of the services currently provided through our A&Es would be provided through Centres, one at PRH and one at RSH, which together would see the large majority of the patients who are currently seen at A&E, meaning most patients would still go to their local hospital for urgent care.
“We would actually see the creation of three new services – a major new Emergency and Trauma Department which would allow us to attract more staff to provide the best care possible, and two brand new 24-hour centres that provide urgent care, one at each hospital, and urgent care services within our community hubs.
“Our communities need access to the best staffed and equipped Trauma Care. Most urgent hospital treatment would still be provided at RSH and PRH where our A&Es are currently based. Our emergency hospital would provide all of the specialist services required in an emergency, including a state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit.
“Our planned care hospital would treat the majority of our patients who need investigation and treatment at a time and date that suits them within 18 weeks of seeing their GP. Our aspiration is that these services would be provided in hospitals free from infections and cancellations, with state-of-the-art Centres of Excellence and more than 350 in-patient beds.
“In its 60 years, the NHS has always continued to evolve. We must adapt our services to stay relevant and protect local delivery, now and in the future.
“We have always said that no decision has been made yet and today’s proposals go to show that is the case.
“Whatever the outcome, these two renewed and revitalised hospitals would create new jobs and investment across our county. Both proposals would represent a significant investment into both hospitals. This is a great opportunity for us to ensure the future of both our hospitals for at least the next 20 years and to provide a sustainable workforce to ensure we provide the safest and kindest care to our patients.
“I must stress that these are still just proposals at this stage. That is why we have these options to explore. The Boards of our Commissioners, as well as our Board, would need to agree to the proposals, which would also be reviewed by the West Midlands Clinical Senate, which provides independent strategic advice and guidance to commissioners to make the best decisions about healthcare.
“An Integrated Impact Assessment will also take place, which will scrutinise the proposals from all angles to explore the potential impact – both positive and negative – of the proposals.
“Most importantly, a full public consultation on the proposals will take place before any final decision is made.”
You can find out more about the proposals at https://www.sath.nhs.uk/sustainableservices and the wider NHS Future Fit programme at www.nhsfuturefit.org
NHS FUTURE FIT PROGRAMME BOARD STATEMENT:
NHS Future Fit Programme Board agrees recommendation on the future of hospital services for patients from Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Mid Wales.
The programme board of NHS Future Fit met today (30 November 2016) to formally decide on a recommendation to health commissioners on the future shape of hospital services serving the people of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales. The programme board is made up of clinicians and leaders from across health and social care and patient representatives.
Based on clinical and non-clinical evidence collected over the past three years, the programme board is making a recommendation to health leaders that a public consultation is undertaken to gather public views on the future of hospital services. This preferred option will be considered by Telford and Wrekin CCG and Shropshire CCG shortly, who will formally decide if a public consultation can begin. No formal decisions will be made until at least Summer 2017 once the formal consultation feedback is analysed and further detailed work is completed.
The preferred option is:
Princess Royal Hospital (Telford)
- Urgent Care (24/7)
- The majority of day case surgery
- Planned orthopaedic surgery
- Outpatients
- Diagnostics
- Midwifery led unit
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
- Emergency and critical care
- Urgent care (24/7)
- Complex surgery
- Outpatients and diagnostics
- Women and children’s centre
David Evans, Joint Senior Responsible Officer for NHS Future Fit said: “I need to stress that this is not a final decision. We are recommending to the two CCGs that in the board’s opinion we are ready to begin a public consultation on the future of hospital services.
“We have reached this preferred option, based on the clinical and non-clinical evidence we had before us.
“We have been working towards this recommendation for the past three years and I would like to thank everyone involved. We know there is still further detailed work to be done, before our CCGs can reach a final decision next year.
“It is still very much the feeling of the NHS Future Fit Programme Board that our clinical model, based on a new Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, a single Emergency Centre and two new Urgent Care Centres treating the majority of people who currently present at A&E is the way to deliver safe, high quality and sustainable hospital services for the patients of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales.”
David added: “We are confident that the process we have followed in our decision making to-date has been robust, and we have sought external guidance to assure us.”
The recommendation will now go before a Joint Committee of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups. This will have equal representation and will take place soon.
If agreed by the CCGs this will be followed by a full public consultation which should begin in January. It will last for a minimum of 12 weeks.