INDEPENDENT MP Dr Richard Taylor has criticised the terms of reference for the review of services at Kidderminster General Hospital.

The Evening News yesterday revealed that Professor Ara Darzi, of Imperial College, London, was to chair an independent clinical review of future elective surgery at the hospital.

The review is already under way, with Prof Darzi scheduled to report back to Ministers before the end of July.

Wyre Forest MP Dr Taylor said he hoped the review would be ''the start of something more''.

But he said he was unhappy with the brief that had been handed to the professor.

This asked him to advise on ''clinically feasible options for the provision of elective surgery at Kidderminster Hospital, taking account of available resources, and ensuring there is no detriment to hospital services at Worcester and Redditch.''

Dr Taylor said: ''The bit that is hard to swallow is that there should be no detriment to Redditch and Worcester.

''I don't want services there to suffer at all, but that shouldn't have been the focus of the review.

''With everything that's happened it should have been 'what can be done for Kidderminster'. It seems to be the wrong way round.''

He added that the review, which was announced by Health Secretary Alan Milburn during the election campaign, was originally intended as a ''sop'' to protesters.

''We must hope it acts as the start of something more,'' he said.