DOCTORS in north Worcestershire have expressed concerns about a revamp of hospital services in the county which could see some services moved from Redditch to Worcester.

An open letter by the Redditch and Bromsgrove Advisory Forum (RBAF) – a group of 22 GPs in the area – said doctors in the area were seriously concerned the changes which could be introduced as part of the Future of Acute Hospital Services in Worcestershire project would be neither clinically or financially sustainability.

In January an independent panel produced a report into the project, recommending Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust should continue to run services at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital and Kidderminster Hospital.

Although it had been suggested another provider could take over services at the Alex, the panel did not agree to take this recommendation forward as it felt this would have resulted in a significant inequality in the provision of safe and sustainable services to the population of Worcestershire.

But the letter signed by RBAF chairman Dr Catherine McGregor said she and her colleagues were concerned a number of issues raised by hospital staff around safety, staffing, training and other areas remained unaddressed.

“We believe that the model should not progress further until it is supported by the doctors and nurses at the Alexandra Hospital,” she wrote.

Dr McGregor continued the group was concerned the option of bringing in alternative providers was not and never had been explored.

“Other providers were not approached or provided with activity data to allow them to work up an alternative model,” she said.

She concluded by saying the group did not support the proposals as they currently stood and urging the project board to look at the option of bringing in alternative providers.

“As local GPs we need to be confident that the services to which we refer our patients and the secondary care that they receive in both elective and emergency situations is of the highest possible standard, is accessible and is clinically and financially sustainable,” she said.

The long-running project has hit a number of speed bumps in its long gestation period. Although it had been hoped a public consultation could be launched this month, NHS England has now said the plans must be approved by the West Midlands Clinical Senate before this could happen.

Chairman of pressure group Save the Alex Neal Stote said the concern expressed by senior doctors proved his claims that they had not been fully involved in the process.

“It’s not just campaigners saying this now,” he said. “This isn’t ready to go out to consultation.

“Let’s get it back on the table and look at all the options.”

Speaking on behalf of the project team, chairman and clinical lead for NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG Dr Jonathan Wells said: "We have received the letter from our member practices and will be considering it at our next Governing Body meeting on September 25.”