Consultation response shows Future Fit preferred option makes no sense
The public’s overwhelming rejection of Future Fit’s hospitals reconfiguration preferred option confirms how the plans to move 24/7 full A&E services and the consultant-led Womens & Childrens Centre from Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital make no sense to most people.
The results of this summer’s consultation shows that around two in three people disagree with Future Fit’s preferred Option One, which would put 24/7 full A&E services and the consultant Womens & Childrens Service at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
The Council’s leader believes the results of the three-month consultation and rejection of option one should make Future Fit pause and consider their options.
Future Fit’s public consultation results shows that 50% of the 18,258 people who responded to the consultation backed Future Fit’s Option Two. This would keep 24/7 A&E services and keep the Womens & Children Centre at PRH.
The consultation showed that less than a third (31%) of those who responded favoured Option One, while even among respondents from Shropshire more disagreed with Option One. Overall 65% of respondents did not support Option One.
The highest number of returns in the consultation were from people in Telford and Wrekin, which accounted for 51% of the responses, both online and offline.
Council leader Shaun Davies said the results of the consultation throw further doubt on Future Fit.
“The response from the public is very loud and clear – Future Fit cannot and must not just dismiss and ignore this, which sadly I fear they will. This is the biggest decision for the future of health care in the region for a generation.
“The fundamental principle of Future Fit was that no change was not option, that the model had to be clinically-led but that the CCGs need to understand the impact on the public before finalising the preferred option.
“Two thirds disagreed with Option One because of the impact – this can’t be ignored.
“A consultation should be about listening and adapting proposals, not a tickbox exercise to allow you to press ahead regardless.
“It begs the question what is the point of a very costly consultation if you ignore its findings because you don’t like the answer.
“The consultation shows that people, wherever they are from, are overwhelmingly united against Future Fit’s preferred option because, to most right minded people, it makes no sense. This can’t be dismissed as an inconvenient truth.”
