SAVE the Alex chairman Neal Stote has voiced fears that the care of children could be the next service to be lost from the Alexandra Hospital.
His comment comes amid concerns that the likely date for public consultation on the Future of Acute Hospital Service in Worcestershire document might not take place until June at the earliest.
That document, which includes the care of children – or ‘paediatrics’ – has been approved by clinicians within the trust and is now due to go out to local doctors via the Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group before reaching the West Midlands Clinical Senate and then NHS England.
However, given that there are local elections in May and allowing for a time of ‘purdah’ when politicking would be taking place, it could be June before the public get to voice their opinion on it.
“I really fear that in the intervening period they will say they are unable to maintain paediatric services. February will confirm that maternity will be staying in Worcester and with the lack of junior doctors at the Alex as a result the system will collapse.
“They will simply pull their ace card of patient safety and there will be nothing, not even our MPs, will be able to do about it. If that happens it’s the end of A&E. It’s very depressing,” he added.
“The end result is that the trust will have achieved what they wanted in 2012, and for all the words of our MPs this trust has still not been placed in special measures despite being branded as ‘inadequate’.”
Rab McEwan, the trust’s interim chief operating officer said: “Paediatric services are included in the Future of Acute Hospital Service in Worcestershire review, which is still underway, and the outcome of which will be subject to public consultation. As such, no decisions have been made to change paediatric service at the Alexandra Hospital.
“There is a shortage of paediatric trained nurses and junior doctors in our children’s services at the Alexandra, we are continually trying to recruit and keep this service under daily review to ensure we provide the safest care possible.”
