Redditch Borough Council awaits doctors’ group response on health commission - The Redditch Standard

Redditch Borough Council awaits doctors’ group response on health commission

Redditch Editorial 23rd Jun, 2017   0

REDDITCH borough council is still waiting for a response from county doctors on its health commission findings.

The authority held a wide ranging series of public meetings in February to gauge people’s views on plans drawn up by doctors from the county’s three clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

These plans would endorse decisions already taken to downgrade Accident & Emergency at the Alexandra Hospital to an adult only in-patient service and the closure of maternity at the Alex, to name just two.

The commission concluded these plans did not meet the needs of the people of Redditch and took no account of any future growth in population.




Instead the commission underlined its belief that the Alex should fall under the wing of University Hospitals Birmingham, which runs the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Borough council leader Councillor Bill Hartnett said: “We still have not had a response from the CCGs and having seen all the headlines on the condition of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, it justifies our position.


“We think we should look towards Birmingham and feel the WAHT is no longer viable. They’ve given them another three to six months but I really don’t know what can change in that time.”

The county’s three CCGs are expected to meet on July 12 to discuss the findings of the consultation.

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