MORE than £500,000 is lying unused in the Friends' bank account - because there is nothing at Kidderminster Hospital worth spending it on.
The treasurer of the fund-raising group said the financial picture was "almost an embarrassment" but came from "our difficulty in identifying areas qualifying for our support".
Since the 1950s, the charity has played a key role in providing equipment to Kidderminster's hospital services, now based in Bewdley Road, but since the downgrading of 2000, the group is finding it difficult to point out areas of need.
Treasurer, Robert Whittington, said: "We are obviously in a very strong position to provide backing, where it can be show to be required and justified".
Mr Whittington said that £15,535 was spent at Kidderminster Hospital during 2003.
The Friends presently have £546,238, which would be used at a "time as the future of the hospital and the services provided on site become more clear", said Mr Whittington.
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