THE controversial closure of Redditch's Alexandra Hospital maternity ward will carry on until at least next year - with health bosses ruling out a "reversal".

It has also emerged that the shock shutdown of the facility at the Alex Hospital could become permanent despite an outcry from thousands of mums.

In October last year Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust closed the unit, saying it lacked enough staff to operate it safely.

Since then pregnant parents have been sent to Worcestershire Royal Hospital under what health chiefs called a "temporary" measure.

The trust is now coming under pressure from Worcestershire County Council to make clear its intentions.

Chris Tidman, the trust's interim chief executive, has responded by telling politicians he has ruled out any changes until at least February 2017.

Redditch North Councillor Graham Vickery, speaking during a meeting of the health overview and scrutiny committee (HOSC) at County Hall, said: "Does the trust have any intention, plans or ambitions to honour the word 'temporary'?"

Mr Tidman said: "It's a question I get asked quite a lot, and the answer is always the same.

"We only have the power to make temporary changes, and at the time we made that decision we said we'd review it in February - which we did.

"At that point in time it was clear to us that we wouldn't be in a position for the next year to reverse it."

During the meeting he told councillors he "didn't see an end" to the closure, saying it had come unsustainable to keep it open.

It led to Councillor Vickery expressing frustration as to why the committee, County Hall's tool for scrutinising the NHS, was not asked to express a view before the shutdown.

Councillor Andy Roberts, the HOSC chairman, said the trust were able to do it without any consultation because it was deemed an 'emergency' closure.

"As I see it, this measure was taken for an urgent clinical need, and it was extended on the same basis," he said.

"We were, within the last two years, warned that this might happen."

But he added that he too was not happy with the way it was handled, saying: "It's not the way of doing things, change first and then engage with the public afterwards."

Mr Tidman said: "It is with regret that we got ourselves into a position where we had to make changes on safety grounds."

He said he regretted having to do it "in haste" but told them it would only ever be reversed "if it was something we could sustain in the future".

"I'm confident there is no other realistic option," he said.

After its closure more than 2,100 parents signed a Facebook petition calling for the unit to be reinstated.

Meadow Birth Centre, a brand new midwife-led facility, opened at the royal in April last year.