I was concerned to hear that due to an emergency decision by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, neonatal and obstetric services would be moved from the Alexandra Hospital on the 5th November as a temporary measure in response to difficulties in recruitment. I am working with Karen Lumley and Sajid Javid to find answers to the questions that I and many constituents have about this decision, and to ensure that mothers in my constituency can access a safe service. I wanted to share the statement the Trust released when announcing the decision below to ensure everyone has as much information as possible: '"For several months Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has been doing everything possible to maintain safe staffing levels on a 24/7 basis in its neonatal services and maternity, despite very real challenges with recruitment. Even with an extensive recruitment campaign, employing experienced agency staff and asking local trusts for any staff who can help support, this situation has now become critical. Interim Chief Nursing Officer, Mari Gay said: "Despite all efforts we are unable to safely cover all of our neonatal rotas especially at weekends. This is something we cannot ignore, as our key staff delivering the care to some of our most vulnerable women and babies have quite rightly raised concerns with me. From Thursday 5 November we cannot consistently cover the evening shifts with the numbers and seniority of experienced staff needed to provide the standard of care we want for our babies in the neonatal unit. This means to ensure safe care, we will be temporarily transferring our neonatal services and consequently all births from the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital from noon Thursday 5 November. "This is a clinical decision and is one we have not taken lightly. Our staff have gone the extra mile to ensure that the care we give is of the highest standards and want to ensure that this is maintained. I would stress that this is a temporary change and is a decision that is understood and supported by our Commissioners. We will only reopen the service when we are confident that we have all of the senior qualified staff in place to consistently cover all of the rotas to ensure the quality of care needed for the sickest of children which need one to one care. In line with the temporary changes made to emergency gynaecology, we will be looking to review this position in February next year." The Trust has confirmed that its midwifes are in the process of contacting all of the women due to deliver at the Alexandra Hospital to reassure them of their on-going care and reassure them that they will receive the highest standards of care albeit at a different location. Dr Carl Ellson and Simon Hairsnape, speaking on behalf of the three Worcestershire CCGs, said: "We fully support the Trust's decision. Staff have worked tremendously hard over the past months to keep services available at both hospital sites and we would like to thank them for going above and beyond what would normally be expected of them. We have a responsibility to commission safe and secure services and the current shortage of specialist staff means it would be unsafe to continue with the current arrangements. We are working with the Trust to resolve this issue as soon possible and in the meantime will continue to monitor the safety of those services." Jo Newton, Independent Chair of the Future of Acute Hospital Services in Worcestershire Programme Board said: "The Programme Board has always had patient safety at the centre of its deliberations and the members therefore recognise the need for these temporary changes to be made on an emergency basis. The clinical model for the future of acute hospital services in Worcestershire is still being finalised and it will be subjected to full public consultation before any permanent changes to existing services are made. "The national shortage of specialist staff was one of the key drivers for the current reconfiguration which started four years ago and these temporary emergency changes make it all the more important to find a long-term, sustainable solution for acute hospital services in the county. "In the meantime we will continue to monitor the safety of services through the Programme Board's Quality and Service Sustainability committee."'