A TOTAL of £113,000 is to be injected into the Alexandra Hospital's accident and emergency department and primary care centre in an effort to cope with mounting winter pressures.

And a further five critical care beds are being opened at the hospital, taking the number to eight, compared to just three this time last year, writes Becky Procter.

The news comes a week after the Redditch Advertiser reported staff in the A&E department had been battling with a huge influx of patients.

The department has now been given an extra £45,000 by the Government to provide extra shifts in order to ease the intense workload.

But hospital union spokesman Paul Tasker fears the money may have come too late.

He said: Will this money make up for the closure of Kidderminster A&E?

They should not have closed Kidderminster when they did. It would have been better planning to do it in the spring rather than autumn.

A spokesman for Worcestershire NHS Acute Hospitals Trust said: Work is already under way on a £600,000 modernisation programme to improve facilities at the A&E department.

An extra £45,000 is now available for winter pressure money for staffing in A&E and the medical directorate to ensure the smooth running of the department over the coming months.

Redditch Primary Care Group's primary care centre, which is based at the hospital, has been given an extra £68,000 to provide more shifts over the holiday period.

Worcestershire Health Authority director of strategy David Bell said primary care within Redditch would benefit from the cash.

He said: GPs will be giving more intravenous antibiotics at home. There will be more respite care, more nursing home beds to prevent people from going to hospital and extra night staffing.