Stafford Hospital A&E may shut at weekends

Stafford Hospital's accident and emergency department is facing closure at night and weekends under radical proposals to tackle a staffing crisis, it was revealed today.

The drastic measures are being considered because of a risk to patient safety due to a lack of doctors and nurses.

If the controversial plans go ahead, emergency patients would instead have to travel to North Staffordshire and Wolverhampton's New Cross hospitals.

Chiefs at Stafford have given themselves just over a month to sort out the problems but have confirmed they may be forced to introduce temporary closures.