A&E expansion could be delayed

Major plans to move and expand the county’s A&E department could be hit by a delay.

The multi-million-pound work would see the relocation of the A&E department at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester and the creation of a new ‘emergency village’ on the site.

Worcester City Council approved the plans in September but a resubmitted proposal by hospital bosses said the decision is under judicial review.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital, said it has put the plans forward again for a new decision to avoid any further delays to the work.

Judicial review is a kind of court case, in which someone challenges the lawfulness of a government or public body decision.

The decision could be declared unlawful – or quashed – by the courts which may mean a decision has to be made by council planners again.

The application said: “The planning permission has been made the subject of a claim for judicial review [because] the council failed to impose a noise condition in respect of the permission; and the decision was ultra vires, on the basis that the decision was contrary to the council’s scheme of delegation.

“It is understood that the claim for judicial review is not to be resisted by the council but remains at present at an early stage in its process through the planning court. It is likely to be several months before the litigation is concluded.

“As such, in order to avoid potential delay in progressing this very important NHS project as a result of the claim for judicial review, a further application for planning permission for the same development as approved on September 13 is being made.”

The hospital expansion plans were drawn up after £15 million was made available to the hospital trust to deliver improvements in urgent care facilities in the city.

Drawings show a 971 square metre single-storey extension to the side of the hospital’s Aconbury East ward which will house its new urgent and emergency care facilities.

A dedicated children’s A&E department will also be built.

The hospital trust said it also plans to move its helipad to allow patients brought in by air ambulance to go straight into A&E rather than having to be transported by ambulance.