CONTROVERSIAL proposals to move some A&E services from the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch to Worcester have been axed by health chiefs.

The proposal to transfer the most serious emergency surgery and trauma cases to Worcestershire Royal was one of a series of options put forward by independent management consultants.

They were brought in by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to help slash spending across the county's hospitals by £20m a year.

But after discussions with doctors, nurses and other clinical staff, the trust board is now set to formally recommend to the Service Review Project Board, due to meet on January 10, that the services remain as they are.

Neal Stote, chairman of the Save The Alex campaign group which petitioned against the move, said he welcomed the news.

"However, we remain very concerned over maternity, paediatric and gynaecology services," he added. "We will continue to campaign for these services starting with a protest march on January 7."

NHS trust chairman Michael O'Riordan said the decision was made after a number of clinicians made a very compelling case for not transferring the services to Worcester.

"Their concern was that such a transfer would seriously jeopardise other clinical services at the Alexandra, and could lead ultimately to the loss of the A&E department - something which was never part of our plans," he said.

"They convinced us that there was an overwhelming clinical case not to transfer these services."

The challenge health chiefs now face is how to make the savings needed to break even as only £12.5m savings have currently been identified.

"The scale of the challenge remains huge and there is a need to look at all other possibilities of finding another £7.5m," Mr O'Riordan said.

"However, we have activated this part of the project and plans are in place to ensure that the savings identified so far are delivered."