A FINAL decision to save the accident and emergency department at the Alexandra Hospital was made at a meeting yesterday.

The Service Review Project Board agreed unanimously with proposals made by the Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust to retain the trauma and emergency services at the Alex. Both departments are subsidiary departments of the A&E.

In December, the Advertiser revealed the trust had recommended the A&E be saved but this proposal had to be finalised by the review project board. However, the meeting which was held to discuss the ongoing efforts of the trust to save £20 million, also revealed that the Alex's maternity, paediatric and gynaecology departments remain in jeopardy.

According to trust chairman Michael O'Riordan the trust has entered its second phase of reviewing county health services.

"The first phase of the service review - which aimed to challenge assumptions, put forward possible options and test those options as rigorously as possible - has now come to an end and the operational phase of the review has begun," he said.

Mr O'Riordan explained that the trust was no longer working with Finnamore Management Consultants and would now be using an in-house project team to progress through the next phase of work.

He added: "I am sure that local people will continue to follow our efforts with considerable interest. From the start of this process we have been committed to openness and transparency and that is not going to change.

"We have been praised for our efforts to communicate with the communities we serve, even where some of the options have not been popular.

"As and when further options emerge, we will share them widely and we will not shy away from discussing them frankly."