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MP warns over bed shortage
Tuesday 10th March 2009, 12:15PM GMT.
Hospital bosses need to take “urgent action” to deal with Telford’s “growing bed crisis”, an MP warned today.
Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, claims the town’s Princess Royal Hospital is 25 beds short of what is needed to meet local patient needs.
The Tory MP said non-routine and non-urgent patients were being placed in beds in the Intensive Care Unit – which has led to a shortage of ITU beds.
He said patients had also complained about the PRH’s Day Ward being full of medical patients.
Mr Pritchard said: “Staff and patients have informed me that the PRH is probably 25 beds short.
“Hospital bosses need to take urgent action to bring forward the number of beds that meets the needs of local patients.”
Hospital chiefs said they had previously admitted that they had experienced unprecedented demand for beds in recent months.
Trish Rowson, executive nurse at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said the contract set by the local PCT at the start of 2008/09 assumed there would not be an increase in emergencies this year, but this has not been the case.
“We are currently negotiating our contract for 2009/10 and will be looking for reassurances that this will include a realistic view of the activity our hospitals can expect to face,” she said.
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