I WAS astounded when I heard about closing the A&E and maternity departments at the Alexandra Hospital.

My family and I have always received valuable and excellent care in the A&E department.

Six years ago, my brother badly broke his arm. He needed emergency surgery as a bone was out of place and if there was any movement, it would have pierced one of the main arteries.

If he had had to be taken to Worcester to be treated, the long journey would have resulted in serious, life-threatening consequences.

I fear the closure of the A&E department will result in many deaths that would otherwise be preventable if the department were to remain open.

It is vital that patients are seen as soon as possible. This won't happen if the A&E department closes because valuable time will be lost.

The time it takes an ambulance to collect the patient and transport them to Worcester will mean the difference between life and death.

Closure of the A&E department will also result in longer waiting times for patients. This is because there will be many more patients waiting to be seen by a doctor than there would be if the department did not close.

It will also put unnecessary pressure on GP surgeries because people will try to see a local doctor instead of travelling to A&E where possible.

If the maternity unit closes as well, the lives of many babies and mothers will also be lost unnecessarily because of the time wasted in the ambulance getting to the patient and then trying to reach the nearest A&E.

Nobody should be thinking about closing the A&E department and the maternity unit and I think some serious thought and consideration needs to take place.

The emphasis should be on saving as many lives as possible, not losing lives unnecessarily.

I am also sending a copy of this letter to my MP.

Charlotte Holland (Miss)

Packwood Close

Webheath