19 October 2006
Send a Card for Telford Kids
Telford MP David Wright today joined forces with
Sutton Hill GP, Dr Andy Inglis, to encourage individual
Telford residents to have their say on the proposals
to change overnight paediatric cover at the Princess
Royal Hospital.
Mr Wright and Dr Inglis – who is leading the
‘Telford Kids Matter’ campaign against
the proposed changes – launched a ‘Card
for Telford Kids’ at Sutton Hill Medical Practice.
The Telford MP and Dr Inglis will be campaigning across
Telford in district centres and local people will
be able to fill in a postcard to the hospital board
opposing the change to paediatric cover.
David Wright MP said:
“This proposal on paediatrics is wrong, that’s
plain and simple. Telford children live in some of
the most deprived wards in Shropshire and focusing
on their health needs means investing in children’s
medical services, not limiting them.
“At the public meeting in Oakengates, the Health
Service Programme Director, Clive Walsh, made it clear
that all submissions to the consultation process would
be taken into account and he has confirmed that by
signing a postcard specifically opposing the paediatrics
proposal, each individual will be treated as a separate
respondent.
“The more individuals who say no, the more
we will make Telford’s voice heard.
“I will be campaigning across Telford, with
councillors, doctors and concerned residents, in all
our district centres, taking this campaign to people
and asking them to sign a ‘Card for Telford
Kids’ to help put a stop to this flawed proposal.”
Dr Andy Inglis from Sutton Hill Medical Practice,
said:
“The more ways we can present opposition to
the paediatrics proposal, the better.”
Clive Walsh, Programme Director for the Shrewsbury
and Telford Hospital, said:
“We will treat a postcard as a valid way of
putting forward an individual’s response to
the consultation document.”
David Wright MP, local councillors and Dr Inglis
will be handing out postcards in local centres across
Telford starting at 10am in Dawley on Friday 20th
October (market day), in Oakengates on Saturday 21st
October at 10am and in Madeley on Saturday 28th October
at 10am.
25
August 2006
“Chief Executive’s assurance must
end A&E debate”
Telford MP David Wright has
received a personal assurance on the future of Accident
& Emergency at the Princess Royal Hospital and
has said he is “delighted” that the future
of A&E at Telford is now assured.
In a definitive statement from
Chief Executive of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital
Trust, Tom Taylor, he clearly states that there will
be no change to the current consultant-led A&E
Department at the Princess Royal Hospital.
The news comes in a reply from
Mr Taylor to the MPs letter seeking a public commitment
on the future of Telford A&E.David Wright MP said:
“I am delighted that Mr Taylor has been able
to respond in such a positive manner and to end the
speculation over the future of A&E at the Princess
Royal. To be fair to Mr Taylor, he has repeatedly
given the assurance I have asked for both in public
and in private but Telford people can now rest assured
that consultant-led Accident and Emergency services
will remain unchanged at Telford.
“While some people have
been busy trying to frighten the public, I have been
having regular discussions with Tom Taylor and on
each occasion he has reassured me that there would
be no change to the current A&E arrangements.
“There are other issues
which will need to be addressed once the public consultation
is launched next month but, with this clear and unequivocal
assurance from the Chief Executive, A&E is not
one of them.”
In his response to Mr Wright's
request for assurances over the future of A&E
services at the Princess Royal, Trust Chief Executive
Tom Taylor has said: "I have repeatedly given
my personal assurance - backed by the Trust Board
- that Accident and Emergency at the Princess Royal
will remain as it is now - as a consultant-led service.
"Everyone acknowledges
that there are major issues facing the Trust over
the coming years as we adapt to developments in healthcare
and strive to return to financial balance, but I am
hopeful that this assurance - in line with those given
by Health Ministers when the two hospitals were merged
- will bring to an end speculation over future A&E
cover in Telford.
“Since I arrived at the
Trust just over one year ago I have consistently stated
my intention to retain A&E services at both our
hospitals. In fact long before that, retention of
A&E services at both hospitals was a condition
placed on the merger of the two hospital Trusts in
October 2003 by the Minister for Health.
“I repeated my position
on this matter at the Telford & Wrekin Senior
Citizens Forum at the Oakengates Centre on the 16th
January 2006 and again in the Shropshire Star on the
11th February in response to a series of questions
raised by the public.
“It was always planned
for the definitive statement on this issue to be included
in the much awaited public consultation as part of
the package of measures to ensure the clinical viability
of both hospitals and achievement of recurrent financial
balance and repayment of the historic debt.
“Whilst recognising the
final document still has to be agreed with the SHA,
it is my clear intention that the current consultant-led
A&E services will be retained at Telford. We currently
see 50,000 people each year in A&E at the Princess
Royal Hospital and it is not feasible to transfer
these to Shrewsbury without significant capital expenditure
which we simply do not have access to.”
The public consultation document
is to be published on the 4th September.
1 August 2006
Cast-Iron Guarantee Demanded on Accident and
Emergency
Telford MP David Wright has
today written to the Chief Executive of the Shrewsbury
and Telford Hospital Trust, Tom Taylor, to seek a
“total and unequivocal assurance” that
Accident and Emergency at the Princess Royal Hospital
will remain as a full consultant-led service and will
in no way be undermined by any proposed change to
paediatric cover.
David Wright MP said:
“Over the last few months I have met with Tom
Taylor on a number of occasions to discuss the future
of the Princess Royal Hospital. I have pressed him
on the retention of consultant-led A&E services
at both sites and he has assured me that Telford will
retain this service. It is crucial that Telford people
know that their A&E department will function properly
even if overnight paediatric cover changes.
“Wild speculation around
the future of A&E is extremely unhelpful and it
is important that Tom Taylor puts people’s minds
at rest as soon as possible. It would appear that
the core elements of the consultation proposals have
already leaked into the public domain and the retention
of consultant led A&E looks like it is part of
the package. Mr Taylor can end the speculation now
by giving a total and unequivocal assurance about
the future of A&E regardless of any other proposed
changes.”
The consultation on the future
of the Shrewsbury and Telford hospital sites is expected
to commence on 4th September and will last for three
months.
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