Our local hospital is facing a downgrade

Speaking after the publication of the proposals on the future of the Alex Hospital in Redditch, Labour's Parliamentary candidate Rebecca Blake said:

"Despite the warm words, lets be frank this is a bad day for Redditch. Our local hospital is facing a downgrade.

"There are no guarantees whatsoever that children will continue to be born in Redditch and difficult births will certainly take place elsewhere.  A midwifery-led unit where the risks are the same as a home birth is no replacement for the consultant-led maternity department we have now.

"55,000 people signed a petition against any proposal that takes away maternity services. To roll over now would be a betrayal to all those people who stood up to keep services at the Alex.

"2,100 births happen every year at the Alex, because of these proposals only the most straight forward births could continue to take place in Redditch. This simply isn't good enough.

"I have seen no solid proposals that guarantee direct public transport from Redditch to Worcester, to cope with the increased demand brought about by this downgrade.

"Under this Tory-led Government maternity services will be unrecognisable and evening care for children will be limited to say the least."

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Why are Redditch passengers facing above average rail fare hikes for second year running?

Today Rebecca Blake, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson for Redditch will be at the Redditch train station speaking to passengers about this year's rail fare hikes.

Rebecca said "This year Redditch passengers are hit again with above average rail fare increases.  An anytime return ticket now costs £7.10 and I am worried how people will afford to get to work or to study when every year the cost of fares snowball.  Some fares have gone up over 4% and after last year's hikes being above the government's cap, it's particularly unfair that the same passengers are having to fork out again for above average increases. 

With the cost of living crisis, wages are not covering the essentials and people are already struggling to pay their bills.  I want the government to stand up to train companies who are disproportionately piling on the cost of travel for Redditch passengers and I will be writing to the Transport Secretary to let him know we are not happy with this in Redditch.

 

To read more from the Redditch Standard click here

Rebecca at Redditch Railway Station with local Councillors and James.

	2013 ticket prices	2014 ticket prices	Increase
Anytime day return	£6.90	£7.10	2.89%
Anytime single	£5.20	£5.40	4%
Anytime monthly season ticket	£119.50	£124.50	4.18%

 

 

Does Redditch have safe levels of ambulance cover?

 

Cllr Rebecca Blake, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson has raised concerns with West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) & Redditch & Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group (RBCCG) about levels of ambulance cover in Redditch. 

"The ambulance service are receiving unprecedented levels of calls and I want to know when Redditch residents need an ambulance it wont be stuck in Worcester or Birmingham instead of being in Redditch, especially when B98 is the busiest area for the ambulance service in the County".

Eighteen months ago Labour Councillors fought against plans to locate all ambulances in Worcester and we were delighted to secure a second ambulance hub in the North of the County, albeit in Bromsgrove rather than Redditch.  At that time Redditch had two twenty four hour double crewed ambulances, a third ambulance giving daytime cover and a paramedic in a car.  Now WMAS are failing to give the same reassurance. 

Unhappy with two written responses received from the Chief Executive, Rebecca has submitted a Freedom of Information request to try and get to the bottom of whether Redditch is receiving reduced levels of ambulance cover.

"After a recent visit to the Bromsgrove Hub I could see what a sterling job paramedics are doing and under significant pressure.  However, to have a situation where ambulances are unavailable more often than they are available while at the same time having to take more and more Redditch patients to hospitals further away is putting patients at unnecessary risk.

For example, if someone had a stroke today, instead of a taking them a few miles up the road to the Alex, paramedics now have a forty mile round trip to Worcester which means the ambulance is not available for longer, but to date no extra provision has been made to deal with this.  I have written to WMAS and the RBCCG to see how they propose to deal with the increase in demand for ambulance services".

 

For more information from the Redditch Standard please click here