Those working in speech and language therapy jobs in community hospitals in Worcestershire, will be under the control of a new organisation after health bosses made a landmark decision.

As reported by the Worcester News, the new community and mental health NHS trust will run the five community hospitals in the county. The decision comes after a meeting in which Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust were competing to manage the providing arm of NHS Worcestershire.

However, after a unanimous vote, the board of NHS Worcestershire instead decided to set up a community and mental health partnership trust to run the services which include community hospitals.

The plan, which was initially agreed in March will see the eventual dissolving of the Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and the set up of a new organisation which would run mental health and community services.

Once established, it is expected the new trust will run the majority of services which will include occupational therapy, audiology, dentistry and podiatry, in addition to speech language therapy.

Paul Bates chief executive of NHS Worcestershire said returning to the original plan agreed in March would ensure there were two 'vibrant' NHS organisations - the new trust and the existing acute hospitals trust.

Harriet Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire said: "I know that most NHS Worcestershire staff, patients groups, people from Leagues of Friends and health professionals wanted a community health trust option. As it is I understand that this March option has the support of the staff and patient groups."