REDDITCH MP Karen Lumley has welcomed news that the Alexandra Hospital, subject to a surprise inspection from the Care Quality Commission, is doing well.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission turned up at both Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Redditch’s Alex Hospital earlier this week and spent about six hours inspecting and monitoring services.

Both hospitals have been under extreme pressure for months, leading to increasing waiting times and some patients having to be treated in the department’s corridors, and a number of concerns have been raised about the impact on safety.

The MP, who will be visiting the Alex today, said: "I was pleased to learn that the CQC inspection went well. Obviously we are still awaiting the report in full.

"Any fears that the Alex wasn't 100 per cent safe have been allayed and, as those of us who rely on the Alex have known all along, the staff have been found to be doing a fantastic.

"We are not out of the woods yet but we can at least now look to the future."

Mrs Lumley added: "We have a mobile operating theatre on its way which will improve waiting times and enable the hospital to cope better with emergency pressures and we can also look forward to the Alex becoming a centre of excellence for orthopaedics."

A spokesman from the Care Quality Commission said: “The Care Quality Commission will be feeding back its findings to the trust and a full report of our inspectors’ findings will be published in due course."