A decision is needed on funding for secondary care for patients in Montgomeryshire and Shropshire to ensure a consultation on an emergency care centre can get started, Montgomeryshire MP, Glyn Davies has said.
During a Commons debate this week, Glyn Davies called for a decision to approve the funding for a new Emergency Care Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury to be taken as soon as possible, so that a public consultation on proposed reforms can proceed.
During the debate on Welsh Affairs on Monday (19th March), Glyn Davies also highlighted the urgent need for recognition that the population of Mid Wales be taken into account when population thresholds, on which specialist services are judged to be needed are assessed.
Speaking during the debate, Glyn Davies MP pointed out: “There is no secondary health care in Powys which means that 80% patients in my constituency of Montgomeryshire travel over the border to Shropshire for their secondary care. Reform of NHS services in Shropshire is crucial for my constituents.
“There are two issues involved in making progress over the reform of NHS Services within Shropshire and Mid Wales. Firstly we desperately need an early decision about funding the development of a new Emergency Care centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
"For several years, there has been reluctance to tackle the difficult decisions involved in delivering the reform we need. We have prevaricated for far too long and desperately need a decision from the UK Government about the funding needed to be taken now.
“Secondly, It’s crucial that the population of Mid Wales is included in the catchment of Shropshire hospitals when judging appropriate thresholds on which the distribution of specialist services are based.
"For some services (perhaps including specialist radiotherapy services) a population of 500,000 is considered appropriate. While Shropshire has a population of only 450,000 it rises to well over 500,000 when the true ‘catchment’ including Mid Wales is taken into account.”
