People across Telford and Wrekin and the wider area are being encouraged to sign an online letter to the new Health Secretary urging a rethink of controversial hospital transformation plans.
The campaign follows the approval of the Strategic Outline Case by government to make changes to hospital services, in which Telford’s main hospital, the Princess Royal will lose its 24-hour A&E and emergency care for women and children as it becomes a centre for some planned care.
The plan was approved in the closing days of the Johnson government, since then Liz Truss has become Prime Minister and Thérèse Coffey has taken the role of Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, Councillor Shaun Davies (Labour) said:
“When people were officially consulted on Future Fit plans in 2018, two in three of the 18,742 people who took part disagreed with moving emergency care to Shrewsbury. It simply lacks public support locally and mandate nationally.
“This seems to have been conveniently forgotten – but not by me, or the wider council. We remain on the side of our residents and will unapologetically continue to fight against plans that are not right for people in our borough.”
The plans put forward will see Telford become the largest town in England without a full A & E service at a time when the borough’s population is aging and growing faster than most areas across the country.
The number of residents aged 65+ in Telford and Wrekin grew by 35.7% between 2011 and 2021, the second highest growth in this age group of all unitary local authority areas. The borough’s population is also one of the fastest growing in the country.
The borough’s downgraded A&E service– an “A&E Local” – will be the first in the country and a model which has been criticised widely by medical experts.
Other services could also be scaled back as plans submitted by health leaders in the summer were costed at around £500 million when the Government has put forward £312 million to pay for the work.
Councillor Davies continues: “Thousands and thousands of people across the borough and beyond want to see these plans changed. Make your voice heard by going to nhs4all.co.uk to sign our letter to the Health Secretary.
“Together, we can urge her to U-turn on these plans and commit the investment needed for the best possible care for everyone across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin.
People can sign the online letter to the Health Secretary at www.nhs4all.co.uk
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