Doctor is welcome addition

An urgent care centre is set to be opened in Kidderminster in October to provide more health services for patients, it has been revealed.

The move will see a doctor on duty and enable more people to be treated who have previously had to travel to Worcester for treatment.

It is 10 years since Kidderminster Hospital's accident and emergency unit was downgraded to be run by nurses. A doctor will now be at the centre Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm.

Wyre Forest MP Dr Richard Taylor said: "A minor injuries unit can only cope with bumps, bruises, sprains and minor fractures but putting a doctor there means that the centre will be able to cater for minor illnesses such as people with problems in managing diabetes, epilepsy and shortage of breath. This is a great improvement."

Dr Taylor believes the move follows calls for improvements after the death earlier this year of a seven-year-old Kidderminster boy, who was suffering from a rare condition and who faced five failed attempts to get treatment.

He said: "If there had been a doctor to look at the boy's history and do a proper examination things might have been different."

Dr Taylor believes official grading of emergency units would also help people understand what they offer.

"We would like to see Kidderminster with all the facilities of a district general hospital and the next battle is to get the out-of-hours service combined with this centre," he added.

Mark Garnier, Conservative spokesman for the Wyre Forest, praised the Kidderminster League of Friends for a "significant donation to help finance the centre".