MATERNITY and children services will not be returning to the Alexandra Hospital in the immediate future, it has been confirmed following a key meeting.

The long-running ‘Save the Alex’ campaign was revived by Kirsty Southwell last year after she lost her first baby nearly six years ago when a routine scan showed no heartbeat.

She had to make her own way to Worcestershire Royal Hospital as there are no paediatric services at the Alex.

Kirsty, mum to four-year-old Dylan, launched a petition to bring back services to Redditch which has achieved thousands of signatures.

Last week Kirsty and MP for Redditch, Rachel Maclean met with the divisional director for women and children’s services, the director of midwifery and the deputy chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

However, bosses remained defiant on the centralisation of services.

Kirsty said: “I'm disappointed they won't return maternity and children's services yet, but I'm grateful they listened to my concerns and that I spoke up for the people and children of Redditch and the surrounding areas.

“There's a need for our services especially with our town ever growing. We will continue to be a thorn in the trust’s side.

“We've been without our services for years and people are struggling to get to Worcester and other hospitals due to lack of funds, traffic on roads and road works. What's it got to take for our services to return?

“I don't want anyone else to go through what I went through because losing a child is a pain no one should feel. Our lives and our children's lives are at risk.”

Ms Maclean said she continues to believe maternity and children’s services should be provided at the Alex.

She said: “Although the NHS is receiving record amounts of funding and there are more doctors and nurses working for the Acute Trust than when I was first elected, local health bosses remain wedded to the centralisation of services.

“We’re not giving up and we will continue the fight to return these services to our hospital.”