AN ELDERLY woman has been found after going missing from the Alexandra Hospital.

Fire crews from Redditch and Bromsgrove and the service’s drone team were called at 4am this morning to help West Mercia Police in a search for an elderly woman who had left the Alexandra Hospital during the early hours. 

After a search inside and outside the hospital grounds, a wider scale search was planned due to the vulnerability of the woman and the lower temperatures at the time. 

The search team from Redditch Fire Station found the missing woman in a grassy area around half a mile away from the hospital after she had been being missing for just over three hours. 

She was cold but well and was taken back to the hospital by police. 

“Excellent early communications and planning between the police, fire crews and hospital staff resulted in finding this vulnerable member of our community through hard work and recognised search techniques,” said station commander Jon Laight.

“She is now safe and receiving treatment at the Alexandra Hospital.”