THE issue of staffing for a possible new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner at the Alexandra Hospital has been raised by a health watchdog.

The matter was brought up at last week's Bromsgrove and Redditch Community Health Council (CHC) meeting when members queried whether there would be enough staff to run the scanner should one be bought.

But Worcestershire Acute Hospital's NHS Trust spokesman Richard Haynes told them that if the hospital did get a scanner, it would not be until the end of next year.

Meanwhile, the trust is awaiting news from the health department as to whether it will get funding in the first place to buy the diagnostic machine.

Mr Haynes said there was a national shortage of radiographers but since it was early days, there was no reason to be concerned.

He added three staff at Redditch and Kidderminster radiography departments were currently training to expand their roles to become "assistant practitioners" to try to fill this skills gap.