CALLS for the NHS to be given first-refusal on a derelict former council headquarters will be debated by councillors next week.
Politicians including Worcester MP Tom Collins have said County Hall should be handed over to the health service – and not turned into housing.
The Labour MP has collected more than 600 signatures from residents backing the suggestion.
At a full meeting of Worcestershire County Council next Thursday, Reform councillors will present a motion calling for the authority to make NHS usage its preferred option for the sprawling Spetchley Road site, which has been closed since 2024.
NHS: Worcester MP Tom Collins on a hospital visit. He says residents are backing calls to turn the County Hall site into a health facility (Image: Tom Collins’ office)
The motion, in the names of group leader Alan Amos and councillors Rob Wharton, Sam Bastow and Dave Aubrey, states: “This council notes that Worcestershire Royal Hospital is operating well beyond its capacity and is likely to do so for the foreseeable future.”
It says the council is about to have a vacant site following the demolition of County Hall, “likely by early 2027”.
“This council agrees that its preferred option for the vacant site’s usage is for the development of the hospital or related NHS usage, on all or part of the vacant site,” the motion says.
“This council consequently instructs officers to meet with representatives from the NHS as soon as possible to establish what plans, intentions, or requests the NHS has with regard to the usage of the vacant site.”
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Mr Collins said: “It is absolutely clear that to support the expansion of Worcester, we need to be securing health provision and infrastructure.
“It’s clear that people in Worcester understand this – and it’s vital that local leaders make decisions now for the long-term, and don’t allow themselves to simply grasp for short-term fixes.
“We don’t need more housing on that site, we need the infrastructure that supports the housing we’ve got, and that we continue to build. Worcester’s hospital is not fit for the generations ahead in the decades to come. We need more space for NHS treatment.”
CLOSED: County Hall has been closed since 2024 (Image: Phil Wilkinson-Jones/LDRS)
He said residents have made suggestions including a GP hub, urgent care unit, walk-in services or even just “more A&E capacity” to ease pressure on the hospital.
“The stories and experiences that local residents have shared alongside this petition demonstrate the need for sensible decisions, and I hope that councillors will work with the NHS to secure the County Hall site for healthcare, so it can continue serving our city’s needs into the future,” said Mr Collins.
Other suggestions have included rehabilitation beds, mental health services, a women’s health centre and an additional hospital car park.
Mr Collins is encouraging residents to sign his petition before Thursday, November 12, when the offer period on County Hall ends with Savills.
