AN EXPANSION of Worcestershire Royal Hospital’s A&E department has hit a roadblock and not be ready until February, it had been revealed.

In July it was announced Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS trust was developing plans to expand the size of the Royal’s emergency department by about 50 per cent while also creating a new discharge lounge and up to 150 new car parking spaces.

But, although the Department of Health has granted a bid for £4 million funding for the expansion and lounge, it has also been revealed the opening of the larger department, which was due to take place in January, has been pushed back a month. It was also revealed at a meeting of the trust’s board on Wednesday, September 9 that the department had turned down the £1 million bid for the new parking spaces.

Speaking at the meeting chairman Harry Turner said he was frustrated the parking funding had been turned down.

“We need to consider all the issues,” he said.

“We do accept that car parking is an issue and we need to do something about it.

“We need to fight hard for that car parking because that’s key.”

Worcester MP Robin Walker, who has been a vocal supporter of the plans, said it was “a shame” it had been delayed, but welcomed the announcement that the expansion was free to go ahead.

“It’s something I’ve been doing an awful lot of badgering about,” he said.

“The key thing is we need the expansion and we need it fast.

“I’m glad they’ve been given the money so they can go ahead and break ground.”

He added he hoped a solution could be found on the parking issue.

The trust has said the A&E expansion is needed as the department was built to cope with 45,000 patients a year, but is now getting about 75,000 on an annual basis.

Parking is also a perennial issue at the hospital, with patients and family members often complaining they are unable to find anywhere to leave their cars.

Some of the new spaces were planned to be created next to the oncology centre with the remainder to be set up underneath the helipad at the south east of the site, which would be raised onto a platform.

The A&E expansion will be constructed in the area between the current department and the Worcestershire Oncology Centre, while the discharge lounge will be set up at the other end of the site. The discharge lounge is intended to free up beds once patients no longer need treatment, which has been a perennial problem for the trust.