Redditch MP Karen Lumley and council leader Bill Hartnett to hold public meeting on the Alexandra Hospital

A date for the meeting has yet to be set, but is likely to be in September or October, with a public consultation on the changes set to start in October.

The meeting follows news that the paediatric department at Redditch's Alexandra Hospital is set to close with services moved to Worcester - the latest in a long line of vital services moved out of town.

Mrs Lumley met with consultants and management at the Alexandra Hospital on Friday, July 15 to highlight the feelings of patients to planned changes at the hospital.

Speaking after the meeting, Mrs Lumley said: "People are quite rightly anxious about these changes, and one promise I managed to get everyone to agree to at the meeting on Friday was that there would be a public meeting, attended by council leaders, hospital bosses and consultants, where people will get the chance to have their say and to ask questions.

"I have said many times before that we must have safe hospital services, and that one thing that we need to address is for there to be a reliable public transport service between hospital sites.

"However, we do have to realise that the sustainable future for hospitals across the country will see the centring of services in various key locations, and while some services are going to be centred in Worcester, other new services are going to be brought to Redditch."

For further details of when the meeting will be held, keep checking the Advertiser website.