HOUSEHOLDERS in Bromsgrove are being urged to have their say on the future of health services "on their doorstep".

Worcestershire Health Authority (WHA) has this week launched a public consultation about setting up a Primary Care Trust (PCT) for Bromsgrove and Redditch.

The aim is to merge the two current primary care groups into one trust to make the system more "user-friendly".

Services such as district nursing, health visiting and occupational therapy, which are currently provided by Worcestershire Community and Mental Health NHS Trust, will be integrated into the new PCT.

The new trust would also be responsible for the town's Princess of Wales Community Hospital and a range of primary, community and social services through GP surgeries and health centres.

WHA chief executive Pat Archer-Jones said: "The aim of the proposed trust is to make sure that health services are centred around the needs of patients and, where standards of care permit, as close to their homes as possible."

To have your say, there is a public meeting at the Burcot Room, at the Council House, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove, on Thursday July 19 between 7pm and 8.30pm.

There will be another at the Council House on Tuesday, July 24, between 2pm and 3.30pm. For a full consultation document, call 0800 0646746.