More beds but no extra staff for New Cross Hospital
New Cross Hospital's under-pressure A&E unit will be almost doubled to take on extra patients from Stafford – but staff will have to work longer hours to cope with demand.
Health chiefs have formulated the plan to ease strain on Stafford Hospital. It will see extra nurses moved to Stafford from the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.
And New Cross will add 15 new beds to the 19 it currently has in its accident and emergency department. It has seen extra demand from patients living in Staffordshire due to reduced opening hours at Stafford Hospital's accident and emergency department.
However the Wednesfield-based hospital will not take on any new staff itself, with current employees expected to work longer hours and different shift times. The hospital's old admissions ward, which is currently empty, will house the new beds.
Chief executive of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, David Loughton, said: "It is important that we all work together to ensure safe care for patients."
