Shropshire MPs meet Health Ministers
Shropshire MPs today met Health Ministers at the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to confirm their determination to press ahead with improvements for health provision to meet the needs of residents in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.
The meeting was attended by Philip Dunne MP for Ludlow, Daniel Kawczynski MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham, Helen Morgan MP for North Shropshire and Mark Pritchard MP for The Wrekin, together with Will Quince MP, Minister of State for Health, and Lord Markham, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State who has responsibility for NHS capital including hospital investment. Senior officials from DHSC, NHS England and the NHS Shropshire ICB were also present.
Shropshire MPs sought clarity on the progress for the £312m Hospital Transformation Programme, which will see the largest investment in improving acute health services for residents across Shropshire, Telford and mid-Wales for a generation. They were given reassurances that the decision last week by the Department to seek advice from the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on the request by Telford & Wrekin Council to take into account 2021 Census data to inform the rationale for the proposed service transformation will be rapidly assessed and subject to any further advice from the IRP, should not add additional delay into the final stage of the project approval process.
Current service levels and preparations for winter were also discussed. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust has shown improvement this year in its Emergency Care performance and its proportion of patients medically fit to be discharged, having moved from Tier 1 to Tier 2 within the NHS England oversight regime. But there is no room for complacency and MPs referred to constituent concerns about cases of inappropriately long waits for admission when attending A&E.
Ministers indicated the winter delivery plan is being finalised and additional bed capacity will be introduced at both Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to help increase sub-acute care capacity this winter.
Quote from Daniel :‘The modernisation of Shropshire’s A&E services is the single largest investment awarded to the county. I am delighted that Health Minister Quince met with my colleagues and I to assure us about the Government’s commitment to delivering this investment that it will have a transformative impact on patients.’
ENDS
Scott Sherlock
Senior Parliamentary assistant
Office of Daniel Kawczynski MP
