Powys County Council is to enter the fray over health services in Montgomeryshire.
The council’s Cabinet will today discuss planned changes to the future of hospital services in Shropshire that will affect patients in Newtown and throughout north Powys.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has developed a number of proposals for the future of both Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital Telford.
A multi-agency panel will discuss a detailed “options appraisal” that will determine what the Trust consults on later this year.
The plans Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust outlined in their strategic outline case through the Future Fit review are a serious concern for all residents living in the area, according to the council which will submit its views to the Trust.
The Future Fit review proposed that one of the A&E department in either Shrewsbury or Telford hospitals should close and be replaced by an Urgent Care Centre.
Councillor Barry Thomas, Leader of Powys County Council said; “Our aim is to encourage the Trust to retain essential services closer to our border.
“If Royal Shrewsbury Hospital were to downgrade it’s A&E to an Urgent Care Centre, the impact would be very distressing to residents in mid Wales.
“If the new Emergency Centre was to be based in Telford, ambulance travel time for critical and life-threatening illnesses and injuries would be considerably longer.
“This would put further strain on emergency services in Powys where our rural geography already makes it difficult for people to access emergency and ambulance services.”
He added: “People with acute care needs maybe put at risk by having to travel further to receive essential emergency care.
“If the service were to move to Telford, the discharge and transfer of residents back to their home would put more strain on the individual or family.
“As Powys does not have a District General Hospital, we rely heavily on our cross border services to meet the health care needs of approx. 50,000 residents living in mid Wales and along the border with neighbouring Shropshire.
“The council’s Cabinet will continue to express its views with the Trust to ensure the issues and concerns of residents in Mid Wales are heard.”
