DR Richard Taylor launched his maiden speech in the House of Commons with a stinging attack on the decision to downgrade Kidderminster General Hospital.

The Independent MP waited for a health debate to make his nine-minute speech - a significant landmark for new MPs.

"I must mention the uniquely drastic, punitive and unfair downgrading of Kidderminster General Hospital - an acute hospital of 300 beds that earned a charter mark for all its services," he told the house yesterday.

"How has that been allowed to happen? Consultation was, I'm afraid, a farce."

He added: "How has the change been allowed to progress unhindered? This is sinister."

His comments came on the day an independent clinical review of future elective surgery at the hospital began.

Professor Ara Darzi, of Imperial College, London, is chairing the review which will advise on "clinically feasible options" for provision of elective surgery "taking into account available resources, and ensuring there is no detriment to hospital services at Worcester and Redditch".

The report will be with Ministers by the end of July.

Dr Taylor told fellow MPs he had had an "all-consuming passion" to become the representative for Wyre Forest.

He said this was driven by "an intense anger about the arrogant, dismissive and unfair treatment that my friends at home have had to suffer at the hands of unelected quangos and civil servants."

Dr Taylor continued: "My constituents will not rest until it's been made possible to ensure the provision of emergency services locally.

"In the meantime, the scandalous waste of money planned for Kidderminster must be stopped.

"The newest ward block opened in 1995 at a cost of £14m.

"It's about to be gutted at a cost £13.7m to provide one-stop clinics, which have been in place in existing buildings for 10 years."

He also paid tribute to his predecessor David Lock, who he beat at the General Election.

Dr Taylor said: "He was known as a very hard-working constituency MP, who took on many local personal and general problems with great energy and commitment.

"He achieved rapid promotion, but he took advice from civil servants and a small minority of local doctors about the hospital, the single local issue that meant most to his constituents."