NHSFutureFit and the PRH
You’ll be forgiven if you are finding it hard to keep up with legal threats from Telford & Wrekin Council, the pact between Telford & Wrekin Council and Shropshire County Council, and where we are in the process of changing the health care in the region to cope with what the next 20 years has to throw at it. I’ve written about how this might affect us in Telford some time back.
While I take an interest in the issues I only have access to public domain information, the same as the Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council Cllr Shaun Davies, so he tells me.
What I can offer, is a view point from someone with no axe to grind. I support no political party, nor do I seek election. I am not part of the NHS. I do listen to what people are saying and what I have seen is a complete mish-mash of what people think the care might look like IF Telford loses A&E. Remember, no decision has been made yet, and there is still a substantial Public Consultation phase to the process.
WHY CHANGE?
The current healthcare system has been described by Consultant Mark Cheetham as ‘Fragile’ and change is needed to improve the outcomes for us all. This is not about saving money, or cuts, it’s about making the system work for everyone.
Imagine you are an A&E Consultant. You have been through Med School and probably put 20 years into your career. Hard work, continual development and learning. You are the cream of the crop and can command a good salary, and have your pick of placements. You like to be challenged in your work. Shropshire is a beautiful place, but I can understand why a top drawer medic would be drawn to a city location where the work & home life would be varied and exciting. This is why we are short staffed in A&E. This is one of the reasons that we need change. View the FutureFit Video.
WHAT DOES CHANGE LOOK LIKE?
After the changes there will be no A&E for Telford or Shrewsbury. What there will be are a number of Urgent Care Centres (UCC) around the whole county, including at the PRH in Telford, but only one Emergency Department (ED) for the region.
80% of planned care & elective procedures such as tonsils and your run of the mill operations will take place at the site which does not have the Emergency Department. Think about this. Think about how you will get to the ED. If you need the ED, you are incredibly unlikely to be in a position to take public transport or drive yourself. ED is for life threatening conditions.
Now think about your Nan getting her Thyroid sorted, or an operation on her foot. If Telford wins the ED, these procedures are likely to take place in Shrewsbury. How will your Grandad get there to visit? How will your Nan get there in the first place? Ever travelled from Telford to the RSH by public transport?
NEXT STEPS
There is an Emergency General Meeting set for Weds 7th November 2016 where Telford and Wrekin Council will be pushing for a Judicial Review. We’ll be covering the meeting and broadcasting live.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
This is unofficial and the information has been taken from the FutureFit website but, try these 10 questions and see if you have understood the proposals.
Completely understand your explanation . But by time the “nan” will travel from Telford to RSH for thyroid operation or similar one by public transport or by car nothing will happen to her but by time if “nan” will have suspected heart attack or other life threatening condition she CAN die . And After “nan” would be taken to RSH and next emergency call will come for ambulance’s service , its will take them double time to get from Shrewsbury back to Telford and potentially take that patient to RSH . That will dramatically reduce chance for good outcome of that emergency. Telford is very large town and very fast growing in population we need EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT in Telford!!!
There are a few key issues that seem to have been missed.
1) Shropshire and T and W has such poor public transport that it cannot be compared to reorganisation of NHS services in larger urban areas. Our bus services are terrible and try getting from some parts of Telford to the RSH by bus/train – It takes over an hour and that’s during the week. On Sundays its almost impossible.
2) The driving force for these changes seems to be the poor funding for the NHS in our country and the question could be asked ‘are we as a society prepared to pay more in taxes (direct or indirect)’ for better health care more locally?
3 Are the general public being ‘really’ consulted about these major changes or is consultation just a formality to tick boxes?
4 What are our elected politicians actually doing regarding these major changes and are they listening to their electors?
Thank you, you’ve made me feel a bit better as a non driver if the current proposal does go ahead. Hopefully if it does they will organise better public transport links to RSH
I think we need to understand that the demands upon the NHS have changed drastically in the last 10 years. The “trivial” ailments that the population clog up A&E with have an impact that were never thought of when the NHS started.
The whole NHS system needs to be rethought to reflect the needs of our current population.
Growing up in East Shropshire most of my hospital experiences where spent at Wolverhampton, Arriving, pre M54, in time for broken arms & legs to be diagnosed.
A UCC in Telford would be quite sufficient for the majority of residents, if specialistcare is needed, a trip to Shrewsbury would not be a disaster if that is where the expertise is.
Listen to the information from all sides & don’t be swayed by political rhetoric.
The future fit have been working on this for 3 years. So why did they allow a 28 million pound building to be built at princess Royal. While they were putting a plan together that building was being built and opened by princess Ann. Full well knowing they may not keep the AE at the princess Royal hospital I for one have had a mi and have heart problems I don’t want to travel to rsh. I should be allowed to be treated where I choose and I would first choose the hospital in Telford I really don’t like the idea of being dragged right back to the 1980sbefore Telford had its own hospital. We are going back in time. Rather than forward and if a patient dies on the way to rsh. Then all I can say the family may sue the Arse. Of Shropshire hospitals and rightly. So. Because if the AE. Had stayed in Telford there relative may not have died so yes 1 st death and I would not like to be in the hospitals shoes
Ambulances will have there work cut out for them there will be longer waiting times for ambulances. A lot of people can’t drive. In the middle of the night first thing they do is call 999. Maybe if I had got a bad heart I would think different. But I know what it’s like. If I had amazeing health that would be different but they should never have merged rsh and princess Royal big wrong thing to do the prh took on rsh debts. Telford population is growing 2 fold. What’s the point of giveing all these comments. It makes no difference. They have decided to leave Telford with out emergency cover. And that won’t change this has never been one trust. Prh have been under threat since it opened and which nurse or doctor would want to work in a hospital under constant threat. It’s not about money it’s political other wise future fit allowed Nhs to spend 28 billion pounds on a building when they knew by the time they had made plans that same building would close what a waste of money only to start building on rsh site nhs funding dos not cover the care of patients now so we’re is the money coming from future fit out of all the money paid you for 3 yrs work ?.
Its far enough to get to PRH from Edgmond in an emergency already. Lets hope the brilliant volunteers from Newport First Responders with their new vehicle get here in time. We all might stand a chance of getting to the PRH then!
I think the location of the A&E will make very little difference to most of us (hopefully) and travelling to the RSH is much better than Stoke which is what’s happening at the moment. The only way to end up in a true A&E is via a blue light ambulance anything else is urgent care and let’s face it from anywhere in Telford the RSH is less than 30 mins on a blue light.
The rest of the area were on the day of the announcement virtually celebrating the A & E decision that is until the realisation that for almost all routine surgery and consultations they would have to go to the PRH. That means getting from Newtown or Ludlow to Telford possibly by 7 am, almost impossible without your own transport. So maybe those of us in Telford aren’t going to be too badly off.