WORK on a £600,000 project to upgrade the A&E department at the Alexandra Hospital is under way.

The work, which includes increasing the number of treatment bays from 11 to 16 and a new paediatric unit for children, is expected to take up to six months.

The unit, which will run as normal during the work, also gained two new consultants earlier this year.

Worcestershire NHS Acute Hospitals Trust chief executive, Ruth Harrison, said: "The staff in the department are anxious to give the best possible care and in more pleasant surroundings."

Mrs Harrison said treatment of patients over the winter period would not be affected and the number of bays would not fall below 11 while work was carried out.

Orthopaedic medical staff at the hospital have also been targeted with another Government cash injection of £152,000 to provide high-level training.

The move comes as part of the trust's drive to transform the Woodrow Drive hospital into a centre of excellence for orthopaedics.

The money will create six training stations at the hospital where nursing staff and paramedics can be trained to use hi-tech equipment.

A trust spokesman said: "The money will set up multi-disciplinary clinical skill laboratories where staff will learn how to handle orthopaedic equipment used in theatres, which can be very complex.

"It is the first time this training has been offered in the county because courses are normally run outside of Worcestershire."

The hospital is also advertising for two new orthopaedic consultants.