Future Fit meeting ‘nonsense’ claim

Public questions will not be taken at a key meeting over the future of hospital services in the county – with one campaigner branding the decision “nonsense”.

Gill George, chair of Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Defend Our NHS, also criticised the decision to hold the meeting at Harper Adams University, in Newport, with public transport ending just after the meeting is scheduled to begin.

It comes as hospital bosses published their latest business case over Future Fit, outlining why the preferred option is for the main emergency care centre to be housed in Shrewsbury.

Women and children’s care will also be based at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital under the plans, while Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital will house planned care.

Its accident and emergency centre will be downgraded to an urgent care centre.

The meeting on Tuesday night at Harper Adams will rubber-stamp the Future Fit programme board’s choices, following public consultation.

The reasons given for the recommendation are that it would be the best value for money in the long run and that fewer people would have to travel further for emergency care.

But Ms George said: “The latest development, adding to the nonsense of the most inaccessible venue they could find, is a decision that the public will not be allowed to ask questions in the meeting.

“Future Fit is a cuts project that has lurched from crisis to crisis since it began in November 2013. It has little support.

“Public opinion can be completely ignored, apparently.

“The meeting is being held at 6.30pm on Tuesday. Fine. Except it’s being held at Harper Adams University, outside Edgmond village, outside Newport.

“It’s awkward for drivers –  and impossible for public transport users, because the last bus of the night leaves a few minutes after the meeting starts. Anyone might think the venue has been chosen to keep the public away.

“And it gets worse in that the public are allowed to attend the meeting – but not to ask questions.

“It is really frightening that health leaders feel entitled to act entirely without public consent to force these damaging cuts and closures through. There’s something very basic that they’ve forgotten.

“They’re only temporary custodians of the NHS, but it belongs to all of us, to the public as whole.  They’re destroying something that isn’t theirs to destroy.”

But in a letter to Ms George, signed by Dr Jo Leahy, chair, NHS Telford & Wrekin CCG, David Evans, chief officer, NHS Telford & Wrekin CCG, Dr Julian Povey, chair, NHS Shropshire CCG and Dr Simon Freeman, accountable officer, NHS Shropshire CCG, they said the board is under no obligation to hold the meeting in public.

The letter says: “The previous Joint Committee meeting in August 2017 was held in Shrewsbury and therefore, in the interests of fairness, we have decided to hold this next meeting in Telford & Wrekin.

“We have looked at all available venues across Telford & Wrekin in order to find a suitable building that could accommodate as many people as possible, has the right facilities and is accessible for the public and those with protected characteristics wishing to attend.

“Due to these reasons, Harper Adams University proved to be the best venue to serve this meeting. We are therefore confident that the CCGs’ equality duty has been fully considered and met.

“The CCGs are under no obligation to hold this meeting in public, however we have decided that, in the interests of being open, transparent and honest, we would invite members of the public to observe the meeting as a member of the audience. For those who choose not to attend, we are organising for the meeting to be live streamed.

“Over the last six years, we have provided many opportunities for people to have their say at every stage of the Future Fit programme.”