Shortage of hospital beds is 'unusual'

A sustained demand for hospital beds has led to a shortage at Noble’s Hospital.

The Department of Health has had to reduce the number of non urgent surgical patients it can treat to cope with the problem.

It’s in an effort to maintain enough cover and bed spaces for medical emergencies, patients who require urgent surgical care and planned cancer surgery.

Patients are even being treated on the gynaecological ward – something the hospital says is unprecedented.

Susan Harrison is the divisional manager at Noble’s – she told us how the problem has come about: