Vital Transformation Of Acute Care Services Moves Closer

Vital plans to transform acute hospital services, which will help to improve health and care outcomes for communities across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales, are progressing.

This follows formal confirmation of the approval, subject to a number of conditions, of a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) of the Hospitals Transformation Programme at the end of August 2022 by the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England’s Joint Investment Committee.

The SOC sets out plans to progress the implementation of the reconfiguration of acute services agreed as part of the Future Fit public consultation, which will see the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford specialise in planned care and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital specialise in emergency care.

This new model of care was designed, led and supported by clinicians, and will see patients benefit from fewer cancellations and delays for planned procedures and a more streamlined and effective emergency care service, with fewer ambulance handover delays, delivered from a dedicated, modern Emergency Department.

Louise Barnett, Chief Executive of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust which runs both acute hospitals, said: “The Hospitals Transformation Programme aims to improve both the quality of patient care and the sustainability of the services that we provide to our communities.

“We simply cannot continue with the current service configuration because it will not be able to meet the future needs of our population and gives rise to significant workforce issues.

“Approval of the SOC has enabled us to take a major and exciting step forward and we are already working on the next stage, involving the development of an Outline Business Case which will set out the future plans in more detail.”

Simon Whitehouse, Chief Executive Officer for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said: “The Hospitals Transformation Programme is a key part of our overarching plans to transform health and care services across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales. We remain committed to achieving the ambitions of the Future Fit consultation so that we can improve quality, safety, experience and outcomes for local people.

“The £10million of funding announced recently to create an elective surgical hub at the Princess Royal Hospital is also fantastic news. This development fully aligns with the Hospitals Transformation Programme.”

The Outline Business Case (OBC) will review each of the options set out in the SOC in more detail. There will be opportunities for the local population, staff and stakeholders to get involved in shaping the detailed models of care. This OBC stage is expected to be completed in around 12 months.

A summary of the SOC and a Q&A, along with a full version of the SOC, will be available from 11am on Friday 23 September, by clicking here.