UK Health Secretary told to invest in Shrewsbury hospital

Montgomeryshire Senedd Member Russell George and Montgomeryshire MP, Craig Williams, have raised the need for investment in the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital with their Conservative party colleague and UK Health Secretary, Sajid Javid MP

Mr George raised the issue with UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid MP at the weekend’s Welsh Conservative Party conference in Newtown that was also attended by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. 

The meeting comes following years of discussion on the future of Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals, and on the Future Fit programme which was set up to examine the future of hospital services for people in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales.

The Future Fit programme has been working through various scrutiny processes by NHS England and the UK Government.

But only last week the hospital was fined £1.3 million following a pair of preventable deaths, and it follows the highly publicised failings of the hospital’s maternity services in recent years.

“'Clearly investment in hospital services in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government, and I have been active in taking up a new hospital to provide services for people living in North Powys with the First minister of Wales.,” said Mr George.

“'However, I was pleased to have the opportunity, along with Craig Williams MP, to have a conversation with the UK Health Secretary about investment into health services in Shropshire.

“'So many people across Mid Wales rely on specialist and emergency services across the border. The Future Fit programme has moved frustratingly slowly, and I raised this point with Sajid Javid, and I also made the point that this investment into Shrewsbury hospital will provide crucial support to the people of Montgomeryshire.

“Whilst the UK Health Minister was understandably not in position to make any announcement, I believe he went away with a clear view from us that the Future Fit programme needs to move forward and a realisation of the impact it will have well beyond Shropshire as a cross-border hospital.”

Mr Javid also joined the shadow ministers for health in Wales and Scotland, Russell George MS and Sandesh Gulhane MSP for a session on stage (pictured). 

During the panel's discussions, Mr George stressed the need to support GPs so there is better access, which will relieve pressures on A&E departments which recently recorded their worst-ever waits in Wales.