Julian Knight, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate and campaigner for Solihull Hospital, has warned of dire consequences for the people of Solihull if there is any reduction in services due a radical shake-up of accident and emergency.
Solihull Care Commissioning Group and Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust plan to rebrand the accident and emergency so that it becomes an urgent care centre. Early reports claim that there are no immediate plans to reduce the service on offer or the status of the accident and emergency.
However, Julian says that he is suspicious of any change in status because of past reductions of service: "I like to take people at their word, but we have been here before in Solihull. A few months ago, stroke care was quietly moved to Heartlands Hospital and, before that, we had the sad loss of maternity care."
"It seems to me that we are getting the rough end of the deal in Solihull, which is ridiculous as we are a growing town.
"The danger is that when the status of the accident and emergency changes then we will see a gradual reduction in the services on offer. We don't want Solihull Hospital to have its heart ripped out; we must protect our local NHS."
Julian has had success with his fight to keep walk-in services at Solihull Hospital and pledges to hold the Care Commissioning Group and the Trust to account over any changes to accident and emergency.
"I feel that this is being done on the quiet, with the Lib Dem MP for Solihull announcing the change when everyone's mind is on Christmas. However, we can't just let this through on a nod and a wink because it is politically convenient, this is our NHS"
Julian is to be briefed this week by the Care Commissioners and he is calling for a full public consultation on these changes.