Shropshire's hospitals need 92 extra beds for winter
Hospitals in Shropshire will need an extra 92 beds and more than £1 million to help them through the busy winter period, bosses revealed today.
Year-on-year hospitals across the country are seeing an increase in the number of people attending emergency departments and the number of people who are being admitted into hospital.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has set aside funding of £1.7m to cover the winter and has identified ways to create 63 beds.
As part of the system winter plan, SaTH requires other health groups to offer schemes to bridge the remaining gap of 29 beds for the winter period.
Health bosses have said other groups could help by providing more community beds and increase the packages of care available.
In a report due to be discussed at a SATH board meeting in Shrewsbury tomorrow, Sara Biffen, deputy chief operating officer, said: "As we approach winter it is necessary to ensure we have enough bed capacity on both hospital sites, to deliver the anticipated level of emergency activity and keep our patients and staff safe.
"We have looked at several options, which we would be able to implement, subject to financial support.
"Managing the longer stay patients, many of whom will have complex discharge needs requires considerable focus from clinical teams and multiagency collaboration.
"Resilience through the winter period this year is of concern as escalation areas have been in use throughout the summer period and are still in use."
