THE mother and baby unit at the Alexandra Hospital has been re-opened at weekends to provide full-time care for mums and newborns.

The move follows the resolution of a staffing shortage of specially trained neonatal nurses, which prompted its closure at weekends in June.

The unit provides care for premature babies - those born at 36 weeks or later - who need extra nursing care.

Helen Blanchard, director of nursing and midwifery for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, explained that following regular reviews, sufficient numbers of staff had returned from sickness or maternity leave to re-open the unit.

"The unit was open last weekend and will now remain open indefinitely, subject to the maintenance of adequate staffing levels," she said.

"Of course, if the situation changes, we may have to reconsider this. Our priority has to be the safety of the mums and babies we are caring for."

Trust chief executive John Rostill said: "Our discussions with the Birmingham Women's Health Care NHS Trust (BWHC) about possible collaborative working on neonatal services at the Alexandra Hospital are progressing positively. BHWC has indicated a willingness to take on the management of neonatal services at the Alexandra, subject to a number of conditions being fulfilled.

"Further discussions now have to take place to explore whether detailed agreement on this arrangement can be reached. If it can, it would mean that maternity/obstetric services could continue to be provided."