FEARS that a shake-up in emergency health care could lead to transport problems were voiced at a public meeting in Whitchurch.

Residents voiced strong concerns on Tuesday (August 21) over the proposed Future Fit programme coupled with the loss of the town’s first responder.

And they also said it will be hard for those without their own transport to access with the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital or the Princess Royal Hospital for appointments.

Under the proposals Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin would have a single emergency department based at one hospital, while the other would be the base for planned care.

Both hospitals would have urgent care centres for non-emergency treatment.

Julia Finch from Whitchurch said: “Until this morning I felt that I wanted A&E kept at Shrewsbury, however then I downloaded the bus timetables.”

Currently it would take one hour and 20 minutes to get to Shrewsbury Bus Station followed by a further 15-minutes journey to the RSH.

To get to the PRH you would have to wait 55 minutes for the bus which would take 45 minutes to get to Telford Bus Station, followed by another 30-minute journey to the hospital.

But if Whitchurch residents were to miss their connections the journey could take more than four hours.

Mrs Finch continued: “That is a no-go for me. “The train costs more and taxis are £25 to £30 just to Shrewsbury.”

She added: “I have asked if we could have more facilities at Whitchurch Community Hospital but apparently the consultants only have clinics there once a month and usually there is a long waiting list.”

David and Terrie Hewitt, from Grindley Brook, voiced similar concerns.

Mrs Hewitt said: “Our main concern is transport for either of the options. “Public transport can get you to Shrewsbury but to get to Telford you just can’t do it. Then there is the ambulances or the lack of them when they take our first response car away – it is really worrying.”

Mr Hewitt continued: “It is going to have the worst impact on the health service in the town in 40 years and that is the whole time we have lived here.”

He also voiced his disappointment that West Midlands Ambulance Service were not in attendance to discuss the transport times with.

Residents were also split in their thoughts of the public exhibition event which took place at Whitchurch Civic Centre and saw clinicians meet with residents to discuss the proposals.

Mrs Hewitt added: “If there is a consultation you should go along even if they don’t take any notice.

“It doesn’t make much difference to us which hospital has the emergency department because they are both the same distance away and we can both drive.”

But Mrs Finch commented: “They’re not actually answering specific questions, they are asking for ideas then they will talk it all over again.” The Whitchurch event comes as the 15-week Future Fit consultation enters its final stages.

It was added to the list of public exhibitions at the midpoint review after calls from residents when they met with Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group chairman Dr Julian Povey in June.

To take part in the consultation visit https://nhsfuturefit.org