Extra beds at Walsall Manor Hospital - just days after ward shut
Extra capacity beds have had to be made available to cope with pressure at Walsall Manor Hospital's A&E - within days of bosses closing a ward.
Ward 14, which dealt with the complicated discharge of certain patients, was shut on August 11.
However, since then chiefs have had to find beds elsewhere to handle the high volumes of people coming through the doors.
The emergency resuscitation area - for the most severe cases - has also been full to capacity at times this month but bosses said space could be found for critical patients if needed.
A Walsall Healthcare Trust spokeswoman said: "In common with trusts across the country, additional capacity is made available throughout the year if additional demand occurs."
Addressing the resuscitation area specifically, they added: "This can happen on occasion at any hospital and clinicians continually reprioritise appropriately to ensure those patients that need to be in resuscitation can be. Additional resuscitation space can be made available if necessary."
Philip Thomas-Hands, chief operating officer, added: "Our emergency department is an incredibly busy and challenging environment and senior staff will always support colleagues and patients who raise concerns."
