A LABOUR shadow health minister visited Redditch to meet with Save the Alex campaigners.

Minister Andrew Gwynne spoke with campaigners Alan Greathead, Laney Walsh and Dr Gilly Cooper on Friday (April 17) after Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Redditch Rebecca Blake organised the gathering.

Ms Blake said: “I’m delighted to bring Labour’s shadow minister into these talks.

The Alex is the most important issue for people in Redditch and its future must be prioritised.

Redditch needs acute hospital care services which are accessible.

The fact that Worcester Royal Hospital called in a major incident consultant is clear evidence that the hospital does not have the resources to cope.

Downgrading the Alex services could only make this situation worse. Without sound medical and clinical support, it’s time for plans to downgrade services at the Alex to be scrapped.”

Mr Gwynne said: “The truth is David Cameron has failed to get a grip on the crisis in our hospitals.

He spent £3 billion on a massive top down re-organisation of the NHS, which no one wanted. Then his Tory led Government took away the alternatives to A&E care. Look at their legacy, walk-in-centres gone, funding for adult care services - cut to the bone and it’s harder than ever to see a GP.

Small wonder David Cameron’s Government has failed to meet the four hours A&E target nationally, for every one of the last 91 weeks.

The driving force for a Labour Government will be this - provide a NHS with time to care.

We have costed plans to rescue our NHS, invest in its future and join up services from home to hospital - and that is what we will do.”

Before joining Save the Alex campaigners, Ms Blake and Mr Gwynne met Jan Little of the Redditch and Bromsgrove Dementia Action Alliance and members of the Redditch Older People’s Forum.