A&E review is planned

Health chiefs have agreed to review accident and emergency services across Worcestershire, including the minor injuries unit at Kidderminster.

The review is expected to take into account "interesting ideas" put forward by Wyre Forest MP Dr Richard Taylor.

It follows calls to restore a doctor service at the unit in Kidderminster to help save thousands of patients from making a 40-mile round trip to Worcester.

Worcestershire Primary Care Trust chief executive Paul Bates today said: "The trust is under pressure to make sure it reaches the 98 per cent target of people who attend A&E being seen within four hours.

"With that in mind we will be carrying out a wide-ranging review of A&E, including the minor injuries unit, and how out-of-hours GP services operate".

But he warned: "This is not about restoring accident and emergency at Kidderminster. We are planning to review the way we are operating."

Members of the trust yesterday met to hear calls for a doctor to be restored to the minor injuries casualty unit at Kidderminster.

The Wyre Forest MP met trust chairman Dr Brian Smith and chief executive Paul Bates before the meeting.

Before Kidderminster Hospital was downgraded in 2000, there were 43,000 patients visiting the A&E department every year. Now the minor injuries unit sees about 25,000 patients.

Health campaigners from Worcestershire yesterday descended on London to join a mass rally against Government plans to close or downgrade hospitals. The group turned up at Westminster to support people protesting against hospitals suffering a similar fate to Kidderminster.

By Sue Smith