News from our partners: Health leaders set the date for a decision-making meeting on future of hospital services
News from our partners Future Fit
Health leaders have yesterday (Thursday 10 January 2019) announced that a decision making meeting on the future of local hospital services for people across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales will take place on 29 January 2019. This is subject to a further meeting with NHS England and a further meeting of the Future Fit Programme Board.
The Future Fit Joint Committee of Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will meet on 29 January to make a decision on the two options designed to transform the hospital services provided at the county’s two hospitals:
| 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
Under either option, a 24-hour urgent care centre, outpatient services and tests would be available at both hospitals.
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The Committee will be made up of 15 voting members, which includes three clinicians, two lay members and one executive from each CCG Governing Bodies, plus two voting independent clinicians and a voting independent chair.
David Evans, Chief Officer at NHS Telford & Wrekin CCG commented:
“We are pleased to be able to announce the date for this important meeting, in which members of the Joint Committee will be asked to make a final decision on the future of clinical services at the two hospitals. On behalf of both CCGs, I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the Future Fit process over the last five years and has helped to get us this point – our patients and communities, doctors, nurses and other health professionals, the voluntary sector and partner organisations.”
Dr Simon Freeman, Accountable Officer for NHS Shropshire CCG commented:
“This meeting marks the end of a conscientious consideration phase in which both CCGs, together with key stakeholders, have taken time to hear, reflect and comment on the feedback from the public consultation, which took place from 30 May to 11 September 2018.
“In addition, we have looked in detail at the additional work that has been ongoing for some months. This includes public, community and non-emergency travel and transport activity, ambulance modelling, the impact that any changes to hospital services may have on seldom heard groups and the proposed plans to improve community services for health and care closer to home.”
The conscientious consideration phase has involved a series of meetings, including the Joint HOSC of Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire Councils, Powys Community Health Council and the boards of Powys Teaching Health Board, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust.
Anyone is invited to attend the Joint Committee meeting, which will be held in public at 6.30pm on Tuesday 29 January 2019 at Harper Adams University, Edgmond, Newport TF10 8NB. The meeting will be live streamed via a webcast that can be accessed at www.nhsfuturefit.org
Future Fit Joint Committee
The Future Fit Joint Committee (FFJC) was convened in August 2017 and on behalf of the two CCGs acted as the decision-making body that received the recommendations from the Future Fit Programme Board on the outcome of the option appraisal process for the reconfiguration of acute hospital services.
At this meeting the Committee unanimously confirmed the two options the CCGs believed were deliverable, together with the recommendation of a preferred option and the agreement to proceed to formal consultation. This was then subjected to the NHS England assurance process.
On 29 January 2019, the Joint Committee will reconvene and will comprise of a voting independent chair and the following voting members:
3 Clinicians from each CCG Governing Body
2 Lay Members from each CCG
1 Executive from each CCG Governing Body (this will specifically exclude the Joint SROs)
2 Independent Clinicians from outside of area
The voting Independent Chair and the voting Independent Clinicians have been appointed by NHS England and approved by both the two CCG Governing Bodies.
Powys Teaching Health Board will be invited to the FFJC but will be non-voting. This reflects the Powys Teaching Health Board’s position regarding voting.
Observers at the meeting will include one representative from:
Healthwatch Telford and Wrekin
Healthwatch Shropshire
Shropshire Patient Group
Telford Patients First Group
Powys Community Health Council
Telford and Wrekin Council
Shropshire Council
The voting members shall each have one vote. The decision of the Joint Committee would be by majority vote and be binding on both CCGs.
Future Fit consultation
The Future Fit public consultation ran from 30 May to Tuesday 11 September 2018 and asked for the views of people across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales on the following two options:
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