THE A&E at the Alexandra Hospital should be expanded and must be able to provide emergency care for children – that’s the call from Redditch MP Rachel Maclean.

There is currently a dedicated children’s outpatient department and a Minor Injuries Unit co-located within the A&E at the Alex.

However, emergency care for children is provided at Worcestershire Royal Hospital following the centralisation of services.

The MP is now calling on Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Alex, to be ambitious in their requests for funding from the Government for big capital projects in order to vastly improve the service patients are currently receiving.

It comes as the Government is set to enshrine in law its commitment to increasing NHS spending by £33.9 billion by 2023-24.

Mrs Maclean said: “As we all know, currently children in need of emergency care can’t receive treatment at the Alex. Instead they’re stabilised and sent to Worcester.

"Not only does this make a difficult situation even more distressing for parents, but it also increases pressure on the A&E at Worcester which is already struggling.

“It’s very clear for all to see, and to anyone who has used the A&E at the Alex and at Worcester, that they both need expanding."

“But if we’re going to spend millions of pounds on expanding the A&E at the Alex, then the first question I know my constituents will ask me is ‘if you’re going to expand the A&E, then why can’t it treat children like it used too.’ And I agree."

The Advertiser revealed last week that new proposals from the trust could see a £20 million investment in Redditch's Alex Hospital.

Funding bids to be submitted by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to the Department for Health & Social Care could see the Alex get a huge £20 million boost.

It would go toward making the Emergency Department bigger and an additional SDEC (same day emergency care) assessment space.

The MP said: “Following the numerous meetings I and my fellow Worcestershire MPs have had with local health bosses, I know they are now acutely aware of the need to be ambitious in their asks from the Government.

“We all want to see an end to the issues besieging the trust and increasing capacity is a key solution to the problem local health services are facing.

“I will continue to lobby for these improvements to happen, as well as fighting for services to be returned to the Alex.”