I was really pleased to read your article saying that Labour shadow health secretary Andy Burnham actually went to Worcester and experienced the difficulties that anyone having to use the Worcester Royal Hospital incurs.

When I am driving with the radio on in the Redditch area and it says there is gridlock or tailbacks following an accident or breakdown at Junction 5-6, I think about someone stuck in the traffic going for an appointment, or an ambulance carrying a heart-attack victim, or a mother-to-be trying to get to the maternity units in a car or by ambulance.

These are all crucial moments in someone’s life.

When you eventually get to the Worcester Royal, the shortage of parking is beyond belief, even the buses queueing to get to the bus stop at the front of the hospital to unload their passengers, have to take their place in line behind all the cars trying to find a place to park.

Then, when you leave the car park you are stuck in the same line of traffic.

They waited for years to have a maternity hospital built in Redditch and after Redditch became a New Town and so many young couples came to live here there was a baby boom. There were also the midwives who lived in the town who went out to them for home births.

It was wonderful news when there was a maternity unit at the Alex Hospital. Also, it was great to have Redditch put on the birth certificate.

There are still many new homes being built here and many young couples buying them. Let’s really hope that Andy Burnham can put his experiences of the difficulty of getting to the Worcester Royal Hospital across.

Janis Bradshaw Webheath