PATIENTS stand to lose out under proposals that could see obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics, A&E, cancer surgery, critical care and emergency surgery centralised at the Worcestershire Royal Hosp-ital, according to one MP.

The Worcester News reported yesterday how health chiefs at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust have cited this as one option to help towards cutting spending across the county's hospitals by £20m in order to balance next year's books.

This would leave medical services at Redditch, while elective surgery would remain unchanged. But Wyre Forest MP and retired consultant Richard Taylor fears the people of Redditch stand to lose out like Kidderminster did after its hospital was downgraded. He believes it would be better for the Royal and the Independent Treatment Centre in Kidderminster to work in partnership, while the Alexandra Hospital in Redd-itch should share facilities with hospitals in Birming-ham. "What should have happened is that the new hospital should have been built in the middle of the county - like Droitwich - for the benefit of everyone," he said.

"That way, people in Kidderminster wouldn't have objected, and people in Redditch wouldn't object now.

"What I can see happening is that commissioners in the Primary Care Trust will start sending patients in Redditch to Birmingham hospitals, meaning Worcestershire Acute Trust will lose out on the money anyway.

"It would be more realistic to get Redditch to share with Birmingham districts."

But as well as having reservations about the proposals - including refinancing the PFI for another five years to release £12m capital, and reducing chemotherapy sites from three to two - Dr Taylor said he believed some of the other options cited by Finnamore Management Consultants were 'careful and open'.

For example, he believes that reducing bed occupancy at the county's hospitals could save the Trust £3m to £4m in fees that they currently have to pay if they are running at more than 90 per cent full.

"It is also good that, since the Kidderminster disaster, we now have Overview and Scrutiny Committees and Independent Reconfiguration Panels who can defuse any rows if they occur," he added.

Trust chiefs have said patient safety and clinical standards will remain priorities throughout the process.

It is hoped a formal public consultation into the proposals will begin in December.

l What do you think? Contact health reporter Rebecca Fisher on 01905 742260 or e-mail: rf@thisisworcester.-co.uk.