HOSPITAL operations in Kidder-minster are set to increase by around 40 per cent under plans announced by health chiefs.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has revealed how it wants to reorganise services in the county and help save £30 million.

Plans continue to include increasing the number of operations at Kidderminster Hospital's treatment centre from 14,000 to 20,000 a year.

The changes would mean more gynaecology cases and routine surgical cases involving an overnight stay being transferred to the centre at the Bewdley Road site.

The plans have been welcomed by the Wyre Forest Patient and Public Involvement in Health Forum, which was boosted by news local obstetric and midwifery services were likely to be maintained at the treatment centre.

The birthing centre is unlikely to be reopened, however, and the paediatric service might move to Worcestershire Royal Hospital - where a proposal has been put forward to create a dedicated women's hospital.

The hospital would be created in Aconbury East at Worcestershire Royal and deal with 6,000 births a year. It would include a midwifery-led unit alongside a consultant-led unit to enable women to choose how they want to give birth. More complex matters from Kidderminster are also likely to be referred to the site.

Janie Thomas, chairman of the Wyre Forest patient forum, said: "We are really pleased the acute trust has eventually got a plan to maximise the use of the treatment centre. Let us all hope they will now implement it as a matter of urgency.

"It sounds sensible and if the plan went ahead we would only lose one service over here, which is the paediatric clinic, which was only open one morning a week.

"It looks set to be relocated from Kidderminster and provided at both Worcestershire Royal Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch but this would free up extra space in Kidderminster for other services, including possibly urology."