Extra ambulances needed if Telford A&E shuts
Ambulance trust bosses are predicting an extra three ambulances will be needed per night to handle the longer night-time trips, if the planned closure of Telford’s A&E goes ahead.
In a report before the trust board tomorrow, West Midlands Ambulance Service CEO Anthony Marsh says the majority of Telford patients would be transferred to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
According to the CEO “a small number” will instead go to the Royal Shrewsbury and Royal Stoke hospitals instead.
The report says that some patients will still be admitted at night-time straight to the wards of the Princess Royal Hospital, but that decision will depend on their condition.
Mr Marsh also said discussions are taking place with local clinical commissioning groups to see if the resources will be made available to provide the extra ambulances.
Writing for the West Midlands Ambulance NHS Service Foundation Trust board, Mr Marsh states that talks around the move are continuing.
He said: “Discussions are taking place around the potential for a closure of the emergency department at the Princess Royal Hospital between the hours of 8pm (sic) and 8am, as a result of the hospital having significant staffing shortages in their medical and nursing workforces.
“If the closure takes place, some patients will continue to be taken to the hospital with direct access to wards; for example stroke, cardiac and fractured neck or femur patients.
"Any patients in the Telford area needing to be taken to an emergency department would predominantly go to New Cross, Wolverhampton, with a small number going to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Royal Stoke Hospital.
“We have undertaken some modelling work that suggests we would need to provide three additional ambulances overnight to compensate for the additional travelling time, and we are awaiting confirmation from the clinical commissioning group that the additional resource will be made available.
"We have contributed to the appraisal of the proposal that has been undertaken by the Clinical Senate.” Mr Marsh will present his report tomorrow.
By Alex Moore, Local Democracy Reporter
