“THIS issue is above party politics” – that’s the message from Redditch MP Rachel Maclean in the battle to get the Garden Suite returned to the Alexandra Hospital.
The Garden Suite, the Alex’s chemotherapy treatment unit, was moved temporarily to Kidderminster Treatment Centre to free the Alex to deal with the Covid-19 crisis.
Since then however, health chiefs at Kidderminster have refurbished a unit at the facility and health trust bosses have failed to confirm the Suite will return to Redditch, leaving the town without a chemotherapy care centre.
In response, back in May Mrs Maclean launched a petition calling on Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to return the Garden Suite to the town’s hospital.
This followed comments from health bosses who said the ‘temporary’ re-location of the chemotherapy unit from the Alex to Kidderminster may become permanent.
Since then, the MP has convened a number of meetings with Trust chiefs to press the case for the vital service to be returned to Redditch.
And she’s being backed by residents with more than 7,000 signing her petition.
“Before the pandemic struck, there was already a chemotherapy suite at Kidderminster,” said Mrs Maclean.
“This now means there are currently two chemotherapy units operating from Kidderminster.
“If the Alex was to permanently lose the Garden Suite, then it would be the only one of the Acute Trust’s hospitals not to provide chemotherapy. This is a situation that I cannot, and will not, accept.”
Health bosses are still yet to make a decision about the future permanent location of the Garden Suite, but in a meeting with Mrs Maclean they confirmed a decision would be made by the ‘end of the calendar year’.
“There’s still time to make your voice heard, so please do sign my petition if you haven’t already done so,” said the MP.
To sign it visit: https://www.change.org/bringbackthegardensuite
