19 January 2023

In 2023 health and care organisations across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales are aiming to secure the final national approvals for the Hospitals Transformation Programme, which will lead to improvements in hospital services for everyone across the region.

To support the delivery of the programme, doctors and other health and care professionals, along with local patient representatives are working together to finalise the detailed plans that are expected to progress through the final national approval processes before the end of 2023. Once national approval has been confirmed, work can begin to implement the changes at both hospital sites – the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

The plans will result in two thriving hospital sites at Telford and Shrewsbury and will support the local health system’s wider future ambitions for the development of health and care services.

The changes will deliver:

  • Dedicated facilities in Telford for planned care for everyone across Shropshire, Telford, Wrekin and mid Wales, helping to make sure that planned appointments and operations can take place all year round
  • Enhanced urgent care services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at both sites to see, diagnose and treat people with an urgent care need, eg, minor injuries and conditions that need immediate but not life saving treatment
  • A modern, fit for purpose Emergency Department in Shrewsbury for everyone across Shropshire, Telford, Wrekin and mid Wales, giving faster access to medical and surgical specialties for life and limb-saving emergencies
  • Services on both sites that are more resilient to seasonal pressures and future pandemics

Dr Ed Rysdale, Emergency Medicine Consultant at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Clinical Director for the Hospitals Transformation Programme, said:

“This is probably the hardest winter I have ever known, and I would like to thank all our staff and their patients for their continued support.  Every day I can see how the proposed changes will help our services to work differently and support us in providing the best possible care for patients. The knowledge that this vital transformation work will be progressing through key approval milestones later this year, is giving myself, and other clinical staff, real hope that things will be much better in the future.

“These planned improvements are a fundamental component of our wider strategy to reduce cancelled appointments and waiting times, deliver high quality urgent and emergency care in modern facilities, and provide a much better patient experience at two thriving hospital sites.

“2023 will be a significant year for us as we continue to work with our clinical teams, staff and local communities to develop these detailed plans for improving care for everyone in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales. These plans build on the commitments made during the consultation and our clinical staff are anxious for the changes to progress.

“We need to invest the significant additional capital funding in the best way possible, so that we can improve services for all of our residents and address the challenges that we are seeing more than ever this winter.

“These changes can’t happen quickly enough for us but we feel it is closer to becoming a reality. Importantly, we want to continue to keep everyone informed and involved at every step of this journey and I would encourage people to register for the About Health event.”

People living and working in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales are invited to join an About Health online event on Tuesday 24 January, 18:30 to 19:30 to hear from members of the Hospitals Transformation team and key clinical leaders to find out more about the plans have developed, opportunities to get involved and what will happen next.

To find out more and register for the event: About Health – Transforming hospital services