Central City News: Fresh say on ward threat; CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.

A PUBLIC consultation into controversial plans to shut down a children's mental health ward is to be re-run after pressure from health watchdogs.

Parents will now have three extra months to find out exact details on the ward closure at Birmingham Children's Hospital and shape hospital bosses' decision.

Hospital bosses revealed they have bowed to pressure from the city council's health scrutiny committee to extend the public consultation.

Scrutiny members were up in arms that a three month consultation had not been highly publicised by the hospital or involved the committee in the process.

Coun Deirdre Alden, chairwoman of the scrunity committee, said: "We asked the hospital to do the whole three month consultation again and firm up proposals because it has been shambolic. They haven't explained

what will happen to children under the age of 11 and there could be a few that end up having to go to Great Ormond Street in London."

Birmingham Children's Hospital is deciding whether to close Ward 3, which cares for children who have mental health and physical illnesses, to save pounds 800,000.

Susanna McCorry, spokeswoman for the hospital, said: "Consultation will be extended by 12 weeks."