25 August 2006
“Chief Executive’s assurance must end
A&E debate”
Telford MP David Wright has received a personal
assurance on the future of Accident & Emergency at the
Princess Royal Hospital and has said he is “delighted”
that the future of A&E at Telford is now assured.
In a definitive statement from Chief Executive
of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, Tom Taylor,
he clearly states that there will be no change to the current
consultant-led A&E Department at the Princess Royal
Hospital.
The news comes in a reply from Mr Taylor to
the MPs letter seeking a public commitment on the future
of Telford A&E.
David Wright MP said:
“I am delighted that Mr Taylor has been able to respond
in such a positive manner and to end the speculation over
the future of A&E at the Princess Royal. To be fair
to Mr Taylor, he has repeatedly given the assurance I have
asked for both in public and in private but Telford people
can now rest assured that consultant-led Accident and Emergency
services will remain unchanged at Telford.
“While some people have been busy trying
to frighten the public, I have been having regular discussions
with Tom Taylor and on each occasion he has reassured me
that there would be no change to the current A&E arrangements.
“There are other issues which will need
to be addressed once the public consultation is launched
next month but, with this clear and unequivocal assurance
from the Chief Executive, A&E is not one of them.”
In his response to Mr Wright's request for
assurances over the future of
A&E services at the Princess Royal, Trust Chief Executive
Tom Taylor has
said: "I have repeatedly given my personal assurance
- backed by the Trust Board - that Accident and Emergency
at the Princess Royal will remain as it is now - as a consultant-led
service.
"Everyone acknowledges that there are
major issues facing the Trust over the coming years as we
adapt to developments in healthcare and strive to return
to financial balance, but I am hopeful that this assurance
- in line with those given by Health Ministers when the
two hospitals were merged - will bring to an end speculation
over future A&E cover in Telford."
“Since I arrived at the Trust just over
one year ago I have consistently stated my intention to
retain A&E services at both our hospitals. In fact long
before that, retention of A&E services at both hospitals
was a condition placed on the merger of the two hospital
Trusts in October 2003 by the Minister for Health.
“I repeated my position on this matter
at the Telford & Wrekin Senior Citizens Forum at the
Oakengates Centre on the 16th January 2006 and again in
the Shropshire Star on the 11th February in response to
a series of questions raised by the public.
“It was always planned for the definitive
statement on this issue to be included in the much awaited
public consultation as part of the package of measures to
ensure the clinical viability of both hospitals and achievement
of recurrent financial balance and repayment of the historic
debt.
“Whilst recognising the final document
still has to be agreed with the SHA, it is my clear intention
that the current consultant-led A&E services will be
retained at Telford. We currently see 50,000 people each
year in A&E at the Princess Royal Hospital and it is
not feasible to transfer these to Shrewsbury without significant
capital expenditure which we simply do not have access to.”
The public consultation document is to be
published on the 4th September.
1 August 2006
Cast-Iron Guarantee Demanded on Accident and Emergency
Telford MP David Wright has today written
to the Chief Executive of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital
Trust, Tom Taylor, to seek a “total and unequivocal
assurance” that Accident and Emergency at the Princess
Royal Hospital will remain as a full consultant-led service
and will in no way be undermined by any proposed change
to paediatric cover.
David Wright MP said:
“Over the last few months I have met with Tom Taylor
on a number of occasions to discuss the future of the Princess
Royal Hospital. I have pressed him on the retention of consultant-led
A&E services at both sites and he has assured me that
Telford will retain this service. It is crucial that Telford
people know that their A&E department will function
properly even if overnight paediatric cover changes.
“Wild speculation around the future
of A&E is extremely unhelpful and it is important that
Tom Taylor puts people’s minds at rest as soon as
possible. It would appear that the core elements of the
consultation proposals have already leaked into the public
domain and the retention of consultant led A&E looks
like it is part of the package. Mr Taylor can end the speculation
now by giving a total and unequivocal assurance about the
future of A&E regardless of any other proposed changes.”
The consultation on the future of the Shrewsbury
and Telford hospital sites is expected to commence on 4th
September and will last for three months.
5 December 2005
Drop in Sessions Prove Depth of Feeling on Hospital
Telford MP David Wright held three drop-in
sessions across his constituency last Saturday for constituents
who are concerned about the future of the Princess Royal
Hospital to put their views directly to him.
David Wright said:
“I was really pleased with the turnout on Saturday
morning and I think it shows the depth of feeling across
the town. The fact that so many people came along to see
me reflects how much concern there is in Telford about the
future of the Princess Royal Hospital.
“This consultation is one of the biggest
issues facing Telford for some years and I think that everyone
who lives in Telford is a key stakeholder as the hospital
serves the whole community. Once the pre-consultation period
ends, I am planning to build on the success of Saturday
and hold more drop-in sessions for constituents to have
their say on this vital issue.”
1 December 2005
David Wright's Article for the Telford Journal
The debate over the future of health services
in Telford is now well underway following the publication
of the "Strategic Service Plan" for Shropshire,
Telford and Wrekin.
I have lived in Telford all my life and I
have made it clear that I will back to the hilt the PRH
and all of its staff. I have launched a "Protect the
PRH" campaign and you can visit the website at www.protecttheprh.com.
At present, the options proposed by the health
consultants are subject to consultation with stakeholders
such as the Shropshire MPs and local councils. No final
decisions will be made until a full public consultation
has been undertaken in the New Year.
The proposals which have been given the most
publicity are those relating to the future of the two acute
hospitals at the Royal Shrewsbury and the Princess Royal.
My understanding of the initial proposals is that both sites
will retain their A&E units, however one will be the
primary site where the most major cases would go. It would
appear that patients would still be able to go to either
local hospital for full A&E treatment. However, I have
made it plain that I want the PRH to be the primary A&E
site. We are now the major population centre in the county,
and I will be making this very clear in my submission as
a stakeholder.
The other key issue relates to wider services
for children and women including, in my view, consultant
maternity services. I have always believed that the PRH
should be the main hospital for women and children. The
options paper proposes that paediatrics, obstetrics and
head and neck services should be on one site. Because of
the number of young families and population growth in Telford
we should certainly have these services in our town. I will
be making a strong case for this on your behalf.
It is vital that the decisions taken in the
next few months both safeguard the PRH and maintain the
huge strides we have made in health care in Telford over
the last eight years. Waiting times are down dramatically
and we have more doctors and nurses working in our hospitals
than ever before.
As well as the launch of the website, I am
holding three drop in sessions so that people can give me
their views. I believe this is a better format than a public
meeting because constituents can talk to me on a one to
one basis.
I am holding three drop in sessions this Saturday
3rd December. The first will be at Jubilee House in Madeley
from 9.00am to 10.00am. The second will be at my constituency
office in the centre of Dawley from 10.30am to 11.30am,
and the third session will be at The Place in Oakengates
from 12.00noon to 1.00pm. Further details can be found on
the website or by telephoning my office on 01952 507747.
I hope that everyone will want to have a say,
either by logging onto the website or by coming along to
meet me to make their views known. If we work together we
can protect the PRH.
22 November 2005
Statement from David Wright MP on the report released
today
“My understanding is that both hospitals
will retain their A&E units, but I want to see the PRH
as the primary emergency site with children’s and
maternity services attached, and I will be fighting for
that. Telford is a growing town with a young population
and I believe services for women and children, along with
A&E, are vital.
“I am pleased that we now have some
facts instead of speculation and I am today launching a
Protect the PRH consultation campaign. We need to protect
the PRH – it doesn’t need saving because it
is not going anywhere – but I have always said that
I will not accept any proposals which are detrimental to
the health of Telford people. We must get the best possible
deal for Telford and I am urging local people to have their
say and campaign to Protect the PRH.”
David Wright MP will be holding a number of
drop in sessions for constituents to talk about the hospital
issues in the run up to Christmas and he has also launched
a website and petition at www.protecttheprh.com.
22 November 2005
Pre-consultation with key stakeholders –
Potential NHS services changes in Shropshire, Telford and
Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Shropshire
County PCT are jointly consulting on a Strategic Service
Plan, containing options to deliver sustainable, quality
services within the context of achieving financial balance.
Given the scale of the issues it is likely that options
would include significant service changes in the locality,
which would require public consultation.
The pre-consultation period, with key stakeholders, will
last from 22 November 2005 through to 21 December 2005.
Thereafter, the PCTs, in conjunction with the Shrewsbury
and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and the Robert Jones and
Agnes Hunt Hospital NHS Trust, will consider the responses
and come to a recommended set of proposals. The aim is
to engage in Formal Consultation during January 2006 –
April 2006. The responses to Formal Consultation would
inform the final decisions, for implementation as soon
as possible thereafter.
