Lucy Allan MP has met with the Minister for Health in Parliament this week to discuss the proposed investment into both Shropshire hospitals and local access to A&E services for Telford residents. A joint meeting with fellow Shropshire MPs and the Minister also took place.
The Minister has been asked by the local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to advance part of the previously approved funding, so work can begin on the two hospitals.
Lucy Allan has welcomed the Minister’s position that this advance funding is conditional on Telford’s existing A&E needs being fully met locally, (other than care for life threatening conditions, where patients would be taken by ambulance to the nearest specialist unit).
Lucy also met with Health Minister responsible for GPs and raised concerns about inability to access Teldoc services. Action is now being taken by CCG to address this serious issue.
Lucy Allan MP said:
“The Government has already approved a very significant investment into the two hospital sites in Shropshire. Access to care is the top priority for patients. We need to make sure this money is used to improve access for all patients, both for A&E care and other hospital care including elective surgery.
"The Minister fully understands the views of my constituents and he is clear: this funding is wholly conditional on the provision of local A&E services in Telford for all but the most critical patients, where of course specialist units provide the best care. The local health decision makers charged with deciding how this cash is spent accept this condition as “reasonable."
"Spending more money does not deliver better healthcare on its own. Whilst this commitment to local A&E care is welcome, the real challenges patients face are inaccessible GPs and cancelled operations. I want the CCG and Hospital Trust to focus on delivering the care that most people need. The Trust and the CCG has been preoccupied for far too long in planning state of the art buildings for care that most people will never need to access, critical units, reconfigurations and transformation plans.
"Most people want access to a GP, have shorter waiting times in A&E and their much need surgery carried out promptly. It's time to focus on needs of most patients. My constituents will welcome this commitment to local A&E in Telford, however, I will continue to work with them to fight for better access to local healthcare for all Telford residents. There is much work to do."
Photo above: Lucy with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid MP
