Telford and The Wrekin Lib Dem candidates condemn A&E Local Plan

Lib Dem election candidates Thomas Janke (The Wrekin) and Shana Roberts (Telford) have issued a joint statement condemning " the desecration of our NHS Services" .

The Secretary of State for Health's letter to the leader of Telford and Wrekin Council confirmed an A & E Local will only have consultant services during " defined hours". Lib Dem election candidates Thomas Janke (The Wrekin) and Shana Roberts (Telford) have issued a joint statement condemning " the desecration of our NHS Services"

The letter confirmed that an A & E Local would:

• offer A&E consultant service for unspecified "defined hours"

• be available only during the Trust's "core hours" - although there's no indication of what these are. Outside of this the PRH will have an urgent care centre to treat less serious conditions.

• new signage and communications will be needed so that people know what times the PRH has A&E services

To ensure patient safety, the NHS says comprehensive pathways and protocols will be needed with the ambulance services to transfer patients to other hospitals and an A&E Local must be able to stabilise seriously ill patients so they can be transferred to another hospital.

Commenting Shana Roberts and Thomas Janke issued the following statement:

" Our worst fears are being realised. Future Fit is taking away our 24 hour A & E at the PRH. A & E 'not' Local means residents across our constituencies will have longer and more expensive journeys to Shrewsbury, Stoke and Wolverhampton for emergency care. In a growing town like Telford, this is nothing but desecration of our NHS Services by the Conservative government."

" Liberal Democrats will fund the NHS properly with a penny on income tax raising £6 billion pounds extra a year for health services."