PLANS to axe local health care and cut front line staff will lead to a rise in A&E visits a leading union has stressed.

The Advertiser revealed that all of the child health visitors for Worcestershire were served with a notice of impending changes to the service in order to make £1m savings.

Worcestershire County Council, which funds health visiting in the county, and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, are considering three options.

Essentially, health visitors are likely to have to reduce their hours to a three day week, with two days 'redeployed into other work' or face the possibility of redundancy.

One option is to interview the entire workforce and not re-appoint a significant percentage of the staff.

The cuts have been proposed despite union officials saying they had been told a "no redundancy policy" would be adopted.

Frank Keogh, Unite the Union's lead officer for health in the West Midlands, said the news was bitterly disappointing.

"Our colleagues down there have been working hard to avoid redundancies," he said.

"These health visitors are with young children at early development, at a vital time. The service is much needed and vital for families.

"Who will pick up these issues? Talks of additional funding for the NHS are fine but that's not happening."

Mr Keogh called the proposal "short-sighted" and warned it would lead to a rise in A&E visits.

Councillors and doctors have been quick to blast the controversial plans saying it could lead to fatal consequences for vulnerable children.

Dr David Richards from Hagley Surgery said: "I am gravely concerned that the proposed reductions in health visiting locally are ill conceived and unsafe.

"I have fears that another tragedy awaits if standards fall across the county and an unfortunate vulnerable child slips through the net.

"If that happens then the microscope of blame should not focus on the workers that are flat out trying to do their best, but on the trust for allowing the service to be minimised in this way and the county council for commissioning such a reduced service."

Councillor John Smith OBE, cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing said the county council agreed to redesign public health nursing services last year.

"Following the in-year reduction in the Public Health Ring Fenced Grant received from central government, which funds these services, a corresponding reduction has been passed on to commission these services," he said.

A spokesman for Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust said families will continue to receive a "comprehensive" health visiting service which meets national guidance.

"Additional support will be focused on more vulnerable children and families and for those living in areas of highest need to ensure that those with the greatest need receive more support, and in addition we will be developing better online resources too so that all families can more readily access a range of information and advice in a flexible way," they said.

"Some of our staff will be asked to work differently as part of this new service and we expect some of the reduction in headcount to be managed naturally, for example by not replacing those who retire or leave."