October 8, 1976

REDDITCH casualty doctors could completely withdraw their services from Smallwood Hospital on Monday.

That is the end of the 10-day period of voluntary work the 21 doctors are putting in following their mass resignation on September 30.

Local health officials say they are drawing up emergency plans to cope with the crisis if the doctors do withdraw completely or operate a reduced service.

The doctors are all general practitioners who operate on a part-time basis with the casualty service and are in dispute with the West Midlands Regional Health Authority-RHA over re-grading of their jobs.

The doctors want to be upgraded from clinical assistants to hospital practitioners, which will carry a small increase in money.

An end to the dispute could come from a meeting between the appointment committee of the RHA, which is expected to be reconvened as soon as possible following an informal meeting earlier this week between the doctors and the RHA.

A spokesman for the doctors said what action would be taken depended on the outcome of the meeting.