Scrutiny of proposals for health services in Shropshire

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) welcomed the presentation and reports of plans for the Future Fit Programme (held yesterday, Wednesday 26 March 2014), which will design hospital care across Shropshire, and Telford and Wrekin, by representatives of NHS organisations.

Dave Evans and Caron Morton, the Joint Accountable Officers for the Future Fit Programme, updated the Scrutiny Committee on the work undertaken, and explained that there is a real sense of excitement; that this is a once in a generation opportunity to ensure that people will receive the best health services.

Bill Gowans presented the model of care, and explained that there had been unanimous agreement amongst all the clinicians involved in the discussions that the best way to deliver care was to have one emergency care centre and a number of urgent care units.

Although Scrutiny Committee does not make decisions,  it does have a statutory role in holding local NHS organsiations to account.

One of the main issues highlighted by the members of the Scrutiny Committee was how local people have been engaged in the Future Fit Programme and will continue to be engaged in the design of future health services.  The committee also wanted to know how the changes to NHS services will affect care services in the community.

Telford and Wrekin Councillor Derek White, who chaired the meeting, said:

“I am very pleased with how open our NHS colleagues were at the meeting.  They gave us as much information as they could at this stage of the Future Fit Programme.  However, there is still a huge amount of work to do: for me, the proposed location of the Emergency Care Centre is key, and what services will be provided there.  We will then also know what services will be provided in the community and the urgent care centres. ”

Shropshire Councillor Gerald Dakin, who co-chairs the Joint Scrutiny Committee, added:

“The most important issue is that people who need health care see the appropriate clinician as soon as possible.  As a committee we have previously accepted that this will mean that some services will have to be brought together on a single site.  At a later stage in the process, we will want the NHS to explain to the committee how the proposals will be financed, but we accept that there is more work to be done on the model  of care before the plans can be costed.”

To view the reports and presentation visit http://shropshire.gov.uk/committee-services/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=230&MId=2657&Ver=4. 

Further information about the Joint Scrutiny Committee can be found here.