Campaigner vows to fight hospital cuts

Buy photos » Neal Stote has vowed to fight again cuts to services at the Alexandra Hospital.

THE MAN who led the campaign to save services at the Alexandra Hospital six years ago has vowed to fight any attempt to downgrade them again.

Neal Stote, who spearheaded the successful Save The Alex Campaign, told The Standard while he accepted there was evidence creating specialist centres for some services was better for patients, the arguments against centralising A&E and maternity into Worcester remained valid.

“I can’t see what has changed in such a short space of time to justify in terms of clinical safety or financial viability for moving these services,” he said.

“I don’t know how you justify to a woman in labour it is safer to travel 30 or 40 minutes to Worcester rather than to their local hospital.

“I’m very keen we try to maximise accessibility of services to the extent that is consistent with patient safety.

“I want to know what we have behind all this.

“Is it financially driven or is patient safety? Let’s not have the two confused.”

The Standard is backing the campaign and a Save The Alex petition is available to sign at our office at 44 High Street, Bromsgrove. Alternatively, visit www.ipetitions.com/petition/savethealex/ to sign online.

Anyone who would like to have a paper petition should call 01527 588656.

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