“Stay at home and protect the Alex” – that’s the message from Rachel Maclean, MP for Redditch, following increased measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Rachel’s message to her constituents comes following a phone call on March 24 with the Accountable Officer of Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group, Simon Trickett.

The pair discussed the ramp up in the preparedness of local health services to deal with coronavirus.

Rachel said: “We are living through unprecedented times and it is incumbent on every single one of us to do our bit for the common good. Please follow the guidance the Government has instructed all of us to follow.

“The need to follow this guidance was made clear to me during my call with Simon Trickett. The main thing you can do to help your local NHS be there for you if you might need it is to follow the guidance. Stay at home and protect the Alex is the message.

“Preparedness work is happening across the board in the local health services. I want to put on record my thanks to every single person who works in our NHS. You’re staying at work for us, so the best thing we can do is to stay at home to support you.

“There is work going on across the region too to ensure services and staff are concentrated at key sites. MIUs are still open as normal in Evesham and Bromsgrove.

“Please be reassured that all urgent cancer care and life saving treatment will continue. But the public are asked to understand non-urgent surgery may have to be postponed. I know how difficult this is for everyone, as well as the impact on quality of life, and these are not decisions taken lightly.

“Health bosses are also grateful to the public as they are already seeing a reduction in people coming into the A&E at the Alex. This means that more staff can be freed up to prepare for critically ill patients as we know coronavirus has reached our local area and it is only a matter of time before this increases."