HEALTH bosses have denied “breaking promises” and dropping plans for a second round of public engagement events for NHS Worcestershire’s joint services review.

An update on the review’s website said public meetings would be “part of the 12-week consultation programme due to start in November”, a date which has already been pushed back twice originally from September.

The first engagement events took place in June after clinicians released six potential future models of care for the county’s acute hospital services. Two threaten Kidderminster Hospital with further downgrading or closure.

During those events, organisers said more meetings would form part of a second engagement phase before the full consultation to discuss the shortlisted models.

They now say they are looking at a convenient time to hold them.

Kidderminster Hospital Alliance’s petition to protect the town’s services has received 9,000 signatures in fewer than a month and in Redditch more than 50,000 have signed up to Save the Alex’s campaign to stop the A&E department at the town’s Alexandra from closing.

Save the Alex spokesman, Neil Stote, said he was “furious” and if the NHS waits until November to hold more public meetings it will have “broken promises”.

Eamonn Kelly, NHS Worcestershire chief executive, said: “Our commitment to a second round of engagement before consultation has not changed.

“Rather than sticking to a rigid plan we should be flexible enough to make adjustments to our timetable based on what people are saying.

“We will hold more public events both before and during consultation, the issue is about getting the timing right.

“We also acknowledged August was not a good time to hold more events. We are now looking at when best to run further public events.

“Everyone in the county will have the opportunity to comment on our short-listed options which we will release in September.”