Parents encouraged to have their say on proposals to improve local hospital services
News from our partners Future Fit
Parents and carers in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales are being urged to have their say on proposed changes to hospital services as part of the Future Fit consultation.
What is NHS Future Fit?
NHS Future Fit is about improving the hospital services provided at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford to help best meet the needs of communities across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales.
What is being proposed?
Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are asking for the views of people across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales on the following two options:
Option 1: The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital becomes an Emergency Care site and the Princess Royal Hospital becomes a Planned Care site (This is the CCGs’ preferred option) Option 2: The Princess Royal Hospital becomes an Emergency Care site and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital becomes a Planned Care site.
Future Fit options
Under either option, both hospitals would have an Urgent Care Centre that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, where patients would receive care for illnesses and injuries that are not life or limb-threatening but require urgent attention.
Why are we asking you?
It is important that we get the views of parents and carers across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales as many of the services in the consultation will affect them.
Under our proposed model of care, consultant-led women and children’s inpatient services will be based at the Emergency Care site. This includes consultant-led maternity and neonatal services; children’s inpatient services (i.e. if a child has to stay in hospital overnight); and a children’s assessment unit.
Future Fit
Most women and children would still receive care and treatment in the same place as they do now. The following women and children’s services would be available at both sites:
- Midwife-led unit, including low-risk births and postnatal care
- Maternity outpatients, including antenatal appointments and scanning
- Gynaecology outpatients appointments
- Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS)
- Antenatal Day Assessment
- Children’s outpatient appointments
- Neonatal outpatient appointments
It is crucial that we hear the views of parents and carers of young children. The consultation will run until midnight on 4 September 2018. Find out more about the proposals, view the consultation documents and complete an online survey at www.nhsfuturefit.org Alternatively, you can request hard copies of the consultation documents by emailing nhsfuturefit@nhs.net or by calling 0300 3000 903 (24-hour answer machine).
