HOSPITAL services at Worcestershire Royal Hospital could “implode” as a result of a possible influx of patients from Herefordshire over the next few months, a patient representative has warned.

In an email to Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust chief executive Penny Venables, Paul Crawford – who sits on the trust’s board as a patient representative – said patients living in east Herefordshire had told him they would be more likely to visit the Royal than Hereford County Hospital.

He said many patients in the county were concerned Hereford’s A&E department was already over-stretched, but that visiting the Royal instead would put further strain on the hospital, which is already under extreme pressure.

“I am getting the feeling that some patients are anxious regarding the next few months and are very concerned that services may become unsafe,” he said.

Mr Crawford said he was particularly concerned the delay of the project revamping hospital services in the county until after next year’s general election would exacerbate the situation.

Mrs Venables said it was not clear if an increased amount of Herefordshire patients were going to Worcester but the most important thing was to ensure they got the treatment they needed.

“If it’s an absolute emergency the ambulance service are going to take the patient to the nearest A&E department,” she said.

“If that’s in Hereford they will take them to Hereford.”

She added patients should be encouraged in non-emergency situations to visit one of the county’s Minor Injury Units – where waiting times are often significantly shorter than at A&E – in order to ease the pressure on the acute hospitals.

The trust’s chief medical officer Mark Wake said he was also concerned about the impact of the delay to the reconfiguration project but wanted to reassure patients measures were in place to ensure the three hospitals run by the organisation – the Royal, Kidderminster Hospital and Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital – were able to cope.

“The situation in many acute trusts is quite precarious,” he said.

“The whole acute system is experiencing unprecedented demand.

“But the longer the delay occurs the more difficult our services will become.”

Anyone unsure whether or not they should visit A&E can call NHS 111 for advice. In an emergency always call 999.