Changes to healthcare provision in Shropshire that will impact on Newtown and Montgomeryshire patients are likely to resurface next summer but a decision will not be made until 2017.
Following lengthy public consultation on plans over Accident and Emergency provision in Shropshire, including public meetings in Newtown, the NHS Future Fit Programme Board deferred a decision in October despite that being the date for a decision.
The changes proposed included having an A&E and other services at either Shrewsbury or Telford, after a greenfield proposal was rejected.
A meeting held yesterday brought together NHS leaders together with social care providers, patient representatives and other partners when they set out a timeline for future decisions including a preferred option for clinical model of services in mid-2016.
A new public consultation is now likely to start in December next year, although discussions will begin in June.
Residents and patients in Montgomeryshire campaigned to keep A&E and other services at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital rather than Telford as they were concerned about the time and impact on patients needing emergency attention if they had to travel to Telford.
Brigid Stacey, Acting Accountable Officer for Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group and David Evans, Chief Officer of Telford and Wreking Clinical Commissioning Group said: "These decisions will define the shape of healthcare for generations to come and they are not easy ones to make.
"This is why we firmly believe that patients, communities, partners and health services need enough time to consider them carefully so that the best decisions are made.
“We will ensure widespread engagement and consultation with our communities, listening to people about their hopes and anxieties and using your feedback to shape the future of the county’s health services."
Montgomeryshire MP, Glyn Davies, said he was concerned at the delay, adding it looked like the whole process was starting all over again.
"I was very disappointed with the delay in Shropshire NHS reform earlier this year.
“I worry about ability of the NHS serving Shropshire and Mid Wales to cope with winter pressures this year.
“It seems that the reform process is starting over again. It does seem that ‘process’ is getting in the way of decision taking. Some people will not like their eventual decisions, but they should get on with it - too many ‘words’ and not enough 'action.' "
There will be widespread engagement on the preferred clinical model of services from June 2016.
This will be followed by detailed consultation from December 2016, which will lead to a decision on the preferred location of services by Spring 2017.
