HEALTH issues - particularly a potential crisis looming at the Alexandra hospital over cuts to services - occupied the minds of district councillors when they met for their November meeting.

Labour group leader Councillor Peter McDonald (Waseley) put forward a motion calling for the authority to organise a district-wide ballot to ask residents if they wished to see the present services remain. Blaming the trust's management for the current financial position, which will have to see budgets cut by more than £20m, he told members that a public meeting, such as was held at the Artrix on November 5, did not have the same weight as a ballot.

"The only true way of getting people's views is via the ballot box," he said.

But several Tory members and others disagreed. They pointed out that a ballot, with its foregone conclusion, would be an expensive and pointless exercise as the Advertiser/Messenger and other papers had been quick off the mark to run campaigns and organise petitions.

"The press is doing a first class job of ascertaining the views of Bromsgrove people. We do not need an expensive ballot to waste taxpayers' money," declared Cllr Ted Tibby (Con-Norton). A named vote resulted in six votes for the motion with 29 against.