Assembly targets for hospital cuts (From Western Telegraph)

Assembly targets for hospital cuts

Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust have been pressured into putting financial targets set by the National Assembly before patient care.

Dr Chris Overton, consultant gynaecologist, says bed cutbacks at Withybush Hospital have stretched medical and nursing staff to the limit.

When wards 11 and 12 were closed for refurbishment, it was hell for the doctors and nursing staff, he said. But at least there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

With the closure of the gynaecology ward that has now gone. Wards three and four have become 'dumping grounds' for a mix of patients.

Said Dr Overton: "There are gynaecology, orthopaedic, and medical patients on ward three and staff have to deal with 12 different consultants, their junior staff and medical students.

"Ward four is even worse. They have to deal with 16 different consultants, junior staff and medical students.

"Apart from a greater risk of cross infection, this is stretching the ability of nursing staff to get on with their work," he added.

As the annual winter pressure bites, the day hospital has, on several occasions, been taken over to cope with emergency admissions.

And Dr Overton says that while the trust insists that fewer beds are required because more patients are being treated under day surgical procedures, staff on the day surgery units are increasingly spending most of their time looking after emergencies.

Staffing shortages have also meant that the trust has had to employ Thornberry Agency nurses at a cost of £50 an hour.

"We not only need the gynaecology ward re-opened, but the trust should also be making long-term plans to increase nursing staff now, especially with a new accident and emergency unit planned, and an expected significant increase in population because of major developments in the county," said Dr Overton.