IT’S been a long campaign for Save the Alex, which started back more than 11 years ago when a then 29-year-old Neal Stote left a public meeting furious at plans to axe maternity and paediatric services and downgrade A&E at the Alexandra Hospital.
2005 – Plans to downgrade maternity, A&E and paediatrics
At the time the Redditch Standard, in support of Save the Alex, organised a petition against the proposals, reporting how the then chief executive of Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (WAHT), John Rostill, was refusing to resign over the issue, and how the chamber of commerce for Herefordshire and Worcester was urging health chiefs to retain a fully functioning A&E at the Alex.
Christopher Harvey, the chamber’s then head of policy and lobbying, said: “Redditch businesses are very concerned about the potential loss of service.
“There is a wider belief that if work was transferred to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, the service could be easily overloaded with a consequent reduction in service for everyone.
“The Trust may have a need to save money, but we believe those savings must be sought elsewhere and we cannot see a reduction in front-line care in the county.”
Save the Alex meanwhile organised a candle-lit vigil outside the hospital in December and arranged the first of its protest marches, scheduled for January, 2006.
Concern was also being raised within the hospital itself as a group of consultants at the Alex put forward plans to de-merge the hospital from its parent trust in a bid
to prevent the proposed cutbacks in services.
2008 – Success?
After three years of constant campaigning Save the Alex appeared to have secured victory after the trust performed a dramatic U-turn as part of a five year plan guaranteeing maternity at the Alex, with plans to even attract an extra 500 mums-to-be to the Woodrow Drive site, paid for by a £3.5million cash injection from the then Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT).
Paul Bates, chief executive of the now defunct organisation said at the time: “We have listened to the public’s wishes to keep services at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.
“This strategy…..shows our commitment to putting the care for mothers and children at the top of our agenda and our commitment to sustaining and improving services for the whole of Worcestershire.”
His comments were supported by Mr Rostill, at the time, still chief executive of WAHT.
The town’s then Labour MP, Jacqui Smith, who had joined the fight, said: “Three years ago hospital managers were discussing cuts to A & E, cancer and maternity services at the Alex.
“Using petitions, public meetings and lobbying ministers, our message got through. First A & E was saved, then cancer services and now maternity services.”
2012
However after those five years were up WAHT was back again trying to centralise A&E and maternity in Worcester, this time blaming the financial crash of 2008 for the move.
The model was to create ‘centres of excellence’ something accepted by Save the Alex, although they argued that should necessarily lead to a widespread downgrading of services.
It was obvious that many of the staff at the Alex felt the same with the plan proposed by WAHT effectively reducing the accident and emergency department at the Alex to a minor injuries unit.
2015 to 2017
By now many consultants had had enough, with four A&E specialists leaving to work at Warwick Hospital, part of the high performing South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
They were quickly followed by other members of staff as WAHT, facing a £59million debt and a risk summit started to cut services at the Alex, citing patient safety due to a lack of staff.
Major A&E and gynaecology cases all went to Worcester, to be quickly joined by maternity and paediatrics. Meanwhile a CQC inspection branded WAHT ‘inadequate’ and it was found that thousands of potentially life saving X-rays had gone un-reported.
Samantha Mullin with her banner. Photo by Marcus Mingins 3212002MMR10
