AN independent panel of health experts from across the country have confirmed that they will issue their report into future hospital services in Worcestershire tomorrow.

The Independent Clinical Review Panel - made up of GPs, hospital doctors, nurses and specialist consultants - have met several times over the last month to scrutinise evidence for the two options presented by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust and the three Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Option one is for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust to continue running Worcestershire Royal, Redditch’s Alex and Kidderminster hospitals, with services including A&E downgraded at Redditch in favour of centralisation at Worcester.

Option two, the one favoured by campaigners and MPs trying to save services at the Alex, is that an alternative provider, likely to be a Birmingham-based trust, manages services at the Alex, with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust continuing to run services in Worcester and Kidderminster.

The work is part of the ‘Future of Acute Hospital Services in Worcestershire’ (FoAHSW) programme which was launched in September this year to take forward the proposals outlined in the Joint Service Review (JSR).

A a report with their recommendations for the reconfiguration of local acute hospital services will be published tommorrow.

Dr Nigel Beasley, chairman of the Independent Clinical Review Panel, will be presenting the recommendations at a briefing at Bromsgrove District Council's council house.

Leaders from NHS England, three Clinical Commissioning Groups in Worcestershire and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust will be in attendance.

For the latest information on this, keep checking the Advertiser website.