There is no escaping that the news reports regarding the Princess Royal Hospital are a setback for Telford. The proposal to move the 2 year old, £28 million Women and Children’s Centre is incomprehensible and I strongly oppose this.
For over three years I have been campaigning for Telford to be the home of Shropshire’s new Critical Care Unit/ Emergency Department.
My reasons for this have been clear from the start, and my argument remains the same now. The new emergency department for Shropshire should be based in Telford because:
- Telford has the fastest growing population in the West Midlands
- Telford has severe pockets of deprivation
- Telford has excellent road links
- Telford’s site has room to expand, Shrewsbury’s does not
- The Women and Children’s Centre is (currently) in Telford, and it is best practice to co-locate this with the Emergency Department
The news that the excellent Women and Children’s Unit is moving to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital has come as a complete surprise to all. This was an option that was never on the table in any of the regular briefings that I attended with the CCGs.
In addition to carrying on my campaign for the new Critical Care Unit/Emergency Department to come to Telford I will also be campaigning for the Women and Children’s Centre to remain at the Princess Royal Hospital.
Whilst I support a single site solution, I cannot support the proposals being put forward.