A BLOW has been dealt to the campaign to create a West Mercia health authority after Worcestershire County Council voted in favour of the Government's proposals.

Liberal Democrat councillors went against their own Ludlow MP Matthew Green, who has joined forces with his Wyre Forest and Hereford counterparts Richard Taylor and Paul Keetch to campaign for Worcestershire to be partnered with Herefordshire and Shropshire in a new strategic health authority.

But the county council has backed the existing plans for the county to be joined with Warwickshire and Coventry.

The three MPs believe these proposals would put the county at a disadvantage and say it would make more sense to mirror the area covered by West Mercia police and probation service.

Their campaign was backed by Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy when he visited Kidderminster Hospital last month.

Liberal councillor Mike Oborski, who voted with fellow Liberal and Health Concern councillors to support the campaign, has attacked Liberal Democrat councillors for voting against the proposal.

He said: "The proposed merger, which would tie us in with Coventry's medically failing and financially inept Walgrave Hospital, would be a total disaster for Worcestershire.

"If the Government are going to force us into a merger it would be far better if it was Shropshire and Herefordshire who are very similar counties with whom we inevitably share a lot of interests and priorities."

Peter Carter, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Kidderminster Brinton Park, said the West Mercia suggestion would sideline the county into a rural area which would mean it would miss out on funding, even though he admitted Walgrave was one of the worst hospitals in the country.