Hospitals to get £750,000 for extra beds

Hospitals in Worcestershire are to receive £750,000 to pay for 29 extra beds to help relieve pressure on accident and emergency departments and paramedics, it has been announced today.

The announcement follows concerns about the growing pressure on departments at Worcestershire Royal Hospital at Worcester, where many patients from the Wyre Forest district are sent, and the Alexandra Hospital at Redditch.

Pressures during the winter ailments means paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service are having to wait with patients until they can be assessed.

This has led to fears of delays in answering emergency 999 calls.

To try to ease the burden, managers with the ambulance service have been going out to "sit" with patients at hospitals, including Worcestershire Royal and the Alexandra at Redditch, so that crews can return to their duties.

It is not yet known just how many extra beds will be allocated to each hospital. Space will be found on existing wards and refurbishment of those areas where they can be fitted in is expected to start later this month.

Janet Marie Clark, spokesman for the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We are planning to provide 29 extra medical emergency beds across both the Alexandra Hospital and the Worcestershire Royal Hospital sites."