Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the length of the waiting time in the emergency department at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the Hospitals Transformation Programme on tackling challenges in the recruitment of staff in that department.

COVID-19 pressures on urgent and emergency care services continue, including at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. This includes impacts on hospital bed capacity and reducing patient flow, through the need for enhanced infection prevention and control measures. No specific assessment has been made of the impact of the Hospital Transformation Programme (HTP) on the recruitment of staff. However, the HTP’s new clinical model will enable Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust to attract prospective staff and retain the current workforce.