A campaign against plans to close the accident and emergency service at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford has won the support of Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock.
The Independent Reconfiguration Panel recently visited the trust to hear directly from clinicians, who reported that the local area needed a new model of hospital care to provide patients with consistently-safe, high-quality emergency care and treatment 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
But, following the visit, the panel recommended the emergency care centre for the region would remain at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
However, this week Hancock said he recognises that patients in Telford must continue to have access to emergency services.
He said “I want all patients to receive excellent healthcare throughout their life, no matter where they live. Having listened to independent clinical experts, I have asked NHS England to deliver proposals within a month on how they will keep the A&E in Telford open as an A&E Local so that the Princess Royal Hospital can continue to deliver the urgent and emergency care needed by Telford residents.”
Plans for A&E Locals are currently being developed by NHS England and Improvement.
