HEALTH bosses are “confident” Shropshire’s two main hospitals are ready to deal with winter pressures this year.

Dr Julie Davies, director of performance and delivery for Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, made the assurances to county councillors this week.

She said for the first time separate plans had been drawn up for the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

But she was unable to give details because they are dependent on a meeting of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals (SaTH) board today (Thursday, September 27) which will meet to decide whether one of the two emergency departments should be closed overnight.

The proposal has been put forward on safety grounds because of a lack of staff at SaTH.

Dr Davies said: “Work on the model has been different this year to previous years and for the first time we have modelling for each hospital site. This is because there are some quite different dynamics with each of the populations and the demands on front doors of each hospital.

“That modelling has been overseen and signed off by NHS England and NHS Improvement and we are confident we have got as good a plan as would be expected in previous years – providing there are no extraordinary winter or health pressures.”

Dr Davies said once a decision was made on Thursday, work would begin to complete the models for this winter.

The meeting was told an extra 37 beds were being made available as part of the winter plans.

In part, this will come from a £3.1 million public health grant which would be used to reopen a former maternity ward at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Dr Davies explained this could be used to help discharge patients.

She continued: “I can’t bring the detail, but I can assure you, as much as we can, resources have been made available from both CCGs to support the trust over the winter.”

Members of Shropshire Council’s Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee welcomed the additional beds.

But they questioned how the ward will be staffed.

Dr Davies said the CCG had shared its concerns regarding staffing numbers, adding: “It is a concern and it must be passed on.”

Members of the committee agreed to write to SaTH and also invited Dr Davies and SaTH representatives to attend their next meeting in November to give details of the winter plan.