The battle is on to protect the Princess Royal Hospital with MPs, officials and residents planning to fight against its possible downgrading.
Andrew Eade, Leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, published a letter addressed to hospital officials on Tuesday saying he will “fiercely resist” any proposals for acute services to be centralised at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Telford MP, David Wright, has now promised to launch a ‘Say No to Shrewsbury’ campaign to protect the PRH. This will include street stalls and a leaflet-drop campaign to all Telford homes urging residents to support PRH.
“I am launching a pre-emptive strike opposing any proposals to move services from Telford to Shrewsbury,” he said. “I want every Telford resident to register their opposition to any crazy ideas and show their support for the Princess Royal Hospital.”
Mark Pritchard, Wrekin MP, has also vowed to “fight with all his might” and is planning a march later this year against any downgrading plans.
Mr Pritchard has run a seven-year campaign to ‘Save Our Hospital’ against possible cuts and holds a petition with 10,000 names.
In his letter Councillor Eade warned the PRH could lose acute clinical services and most of its accident and emergency department to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital resulting in PRH being downgraded.
He wrote: “This situation is unacceptable as the result will be to deprive local people of access to essential acute health care services.”
Pat Smart, chairman of Hadley and Leegomery Council, said: “It is abmissmal. We fought to get this hospital and we will keep on fighting. The whole community will be behind any move to fight these proposals.”
The proposals will be sent to Telford & Wrekin Primary Care Trust (PCT) board on Tuesday, September 22.
A joint statement from Shropshire County PCT, NHS Telford and Wrekin and The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust read: “We have reviewed all of the options for 2012/13 and 2020 and carried out non financial and financial appraisals and the results of this will be considered at board meetings in September.
“No decisions have been taken and any proposals would of course have to be made subject to public consultation. The key concern is to ensure clinically safe services are provided across the county.”