News from our partners: Thousands of people have their say on improving local hospital services
News from our partners NHS Future Fit
The NHS Future Fit consultation on improving hospital services for the people of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales received more than 18,500 responses, local NHS leaders have revealed.
The total number of responses received as part of the consultation was 18,874 – meaning more than 3% of the population served by the county’s two hospitals had their say.
Future Fit closed
The figure is considerably higher than the average response rate for UK public consultations.1
The Future Fit public consultation, which asked people for their views on improving the hospital services provided at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shrewsbury and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, ran from 30 May to 11 September 2018.
Mr David Evans, Chief Officer at NHS Telford CCG, added:
“Thank you to the thousands of people who submitted a response to our consultation. We’re really pleased that we’ve been able to hear from a wide range of people across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales so we can take people’s views and concerns into consideration before making a decision.”
Dr Simon Freeman, Accountable Officer at NHS Shropshire CCG, said:
“The huge response to the consultation shows how much people care about their local hospitals. Their feedback will help us to make sure that we provide the best possible healthcare to the population of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales.”
During the consultation period, around 900 people visited the 13 Future Fit public events, and more than 3,100 people were engaged with as part of a programme of 74 pop-ups. Around 150 events and engagement sessions were held with seldom-heard groups during the 15-week consultation, as well as 28 council meetings.2
All feedback from the consultation is currently being collated and analysed by independent consultation specialists, who will then produce a report which will be conscientiously considered by the Future Fit Programme Board3 and the boards of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs as part of the decision-making process. The Joint Committee4 of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs will convene early next year to make a final decision on the proposed changes to the hospital services provided at the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal hospitals.
Notes
1Average response rate stats
Information provided by the Consultation Institute notes the following:
- Consultations that achieve higher than a 1% response rate are considered ‘good’
- The average response rate for UK public consultations stands at 0.7%
2Consultation stats
- Number of public events: 13 (approx. 900 attendees)
- Number of pop-up displays: 74 (more than 3,100 visitors)
- Number of council meetings: 28
- Number of meetings with seldom-heard groups: >150
3Future Fit Programme Board
The Future Fit Programme Board includes representation from the following organisations: Telford & Wrekin CCG; Shropshire CCG, Powys Teaching Health Board; The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust; Healthwatch Shropshire; Healthwatch Telford & Wrekin; Powys Community Health Council; Shropshire Council; Telford & Wrekin Council, Powys County Council; West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust; Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust; The Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; NHS England; Shropshire Patient Group; Telford Patients First.
4Future Fit Joint Committee
The Joint Committee of the two CCGs, which decided to approve to public consultation with a preferred option in August 2017, will be reconvened to receive the final Decision Making Business Case (DMBC). The Joint Committee will be constituted solely of voting members. It will be chaired by a voting Independent Chair and it will include two independent voting clinicians.
About the consultation
Future Fit is about improving the hospital services provided at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shrewsbury and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford to meet the needs of our communities across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales.
NHS Shropshire and NHS Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) asked for the views of people across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales on the following two options:
| Option1: 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
Under either option, both hospitals would have an Urgent Care Centre that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There patients would receive care for illnesses and injuries that are not life or limb-threatening but require urgent attention. |
