Lucy Allan MP writes:
I'm renewing my call for a 'Super Hospital' in Telford with a new Critical Care Unit being built alongside the Women & Children's Centre at the Princess Royal Hospital.
I've been fighting to bring the new Critical Care Unit here for 18 months . It was my top priority in My Plan for Telford before the election, and I will continue fighting for better healthcare in Telford as the town continues to grow.
The clinicians have told us that the current arrangements, with A&E split over two sites at both Shrewsbury and Telford, are not working, so change is inevitable.
Telford is the ideal location for the new unit. The Princess Royal Hospital has good road links from all over the county and is centrally located.
This is the fastest growing town in the West Midlands and as such has the biggest healthcare need. It's vital for Telford's future that we have the best emergency care is we're going to continue this growth. People moving here need to that know that they will be able to get emergency care quickly if they need it.
There is also significant health inequality between Telford and the rest of Shropshire. Telford has pockets of deprivation that mean , on average, people in the town have a greater need for healthcare services than our closest neighbours. For example, men in Telford have a lower life expectancy than the UK average by seven years.
It makes sense to build the new Critical Care Unit on an existing site where it can be supported by existing facilities and complement them, instead of on a new green field site where it would be unable to take advantage of the infrastructure already in place.
Emergency care for those over the border in Wales should be provided for by the Welsh NHS. This should not be a priority in this decision.
Regardless of where the new unit is located, both Telford and Shrewsbury will have walk-in 'Urgent Care' centres providing care in the majority of cases. The Critical Care Unit will provide care for the most serious, life-threatening cases where rapid response by specialists is required, like major road accidents and critical injuries.
My job as Telford's MP is to represent you and I'm keen to hear your views on this issue and other issues that are important to you. Get in touch with me via e-mail at [email protected] or write to Lucy Allan MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.