Russells Hall in expansion plan talks
A Black Country hospital trust says it is considering plans to expand capacity to cater for coronavirus victims.
Bosses at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital, said discussions over the expansion of facilities are at the "early stages".
So far in Dudley there have been more than 80 cases of Covid-19 and 16 deaths, with the Black Country considered a hotspot for the illness.
While the NEC in Birmingham is due to become a temporary hospital for victims, NHS bosses are understood to be looking at a number of options for expanding existing provision across the region.
Commenting on the expansion plans, a spokesperson for Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are in the early stages of discussion and planning."
The trust was already looking at bringing in more beds at Russells Hall following sky high waiting times in January.
Construction firm the Darwin Group has said they are building hospital units for three NHS trusts, one of which is in the West Midlands.
The units can each fit 150 beds.
