OVER recent months I have been astounded by the response to the government’s plans to cut services at the Alexandra Hospital, not because I was impressed by the speedy and succinct rebuttal by  residents; but astounded as to why they thought it worth saving.
This is a hospital which, over the last 20 years, has incurred a string of gross nursing failures. I’m sure every reader can remember the infamous case of elderly patients having to be prescribed water, not to mention the seemingly endless outbreaks of MRSA and evidence linking the deadly E.Coli bacteria with the hospital.
As far as I understand it, the ‘acute’ Alexandra has been swimming out of its depth for years. Only ever intended to encompass an A&E department, minor surgeries and maternity it is most certainly not equipped for the high volume of patients and procedures performed there today. Cutting services means restoring the hospital to its original purpose, which is nowhere near fit to deal with the patients of Redditch and surrounding areas.
I cannot see why this awful place was not razed to the ground years ago. The morale of many of the staff is abysmally low and much of the basic nursing equipment is in desperate need of updating, not to mention the nursing standards. 
One thing is for certain; I wish to die in my own bed, not lying on a godforsaken trolley somewhere in the fetid bowels of the Alexandra Hospital.
Jessica Allely
Redditch