THE public is unlikely to get an official say on plans to cut maternity and paediatric services at the Alexandra Hospital before spring 2007.

John Rostill, chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which manages hospitals in the county, said he was comfortable with next spring as a date for formal public consultation.

However, a list of potential changes to services is due to go before Worcestershire County Council next month and the authority's overview and scrutiny committee will decide which changes the public will be asked to give their views on.

Mr Rostill said the public consultation had been delayed by the Stategic Health Authority (SHA) conducting a review of paediatric and obstetric services across the south of the West Midlands.

During an exclusive interview with the Advertiser, Mr Rostill defended the need to make changes, saying it was his and the board's responsibility to provide safe, affordable services.

He said: "We needs to provide safe services as locally as possible rather than providing local services as safely as possible. It's a significantly different approach. Because of various changes and accepting the need for cost avoidance in the future we have to look at a whole range of services."

Neal Stote, chairman of the Save the Alex campaign, said he welcomed the SHA's involvement.

"They are the ones responsible for delivering healthcare on a regional basis and, with all these trusts getting rid of maternity services, it's absolutely right the SHA gets involved. I hope they identify a right conclusion that to have only one place in Worcestershire to give birth is wrong," he added.

Mr Stote said the trust had first announced the proposals more than a year ago and had delayed going out to consultation several times since.

"From a management point of view it's a nightmare. It creates uncertainty for staff and is generally not good for public confidence," he added.