QA Hospital ward to close as extra demands on services subsides

The 35-bed C1 ward has stopped admitting patients as part of a phased closure, with staff redeployed to other parts of the Portsmouth hospital as a result.

The hospital trust said that the ward housed ‘additional beds’ over and above its usual capacity, and were used to meet the increasing winter demands which are now subsiding. C1 is often used as an assessment unit, but there are other spaces within the hospital which are better suited to being used as a bed-based environment, it explained.

A spokesperson for Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, said: “We regularly review how we use our hospital beds to ensure we are providing the best possible care for patients while making the most effective use of our resources. During the winter, we temporarily open extra beds to manage higher demand. As we approach summer and demand decreases, we are able to return to our usual bed numbers.

"Our ability to do this is due to close collaboration with our staff and local health and social care partners. Together, we have improved patient discharge processes and expanded access to appropriate care outside the hospital, so that patients who no longer need acute treatment can move safely to the next stage of their care. This helps free up beds for patients who need us quicker and means we can reduce the number of additional beds we need at this time.

"As we are able to reduce the use of additional beds, staff will be supported through the changes, and will be redeployed to other areas of the hospital, ensuring their skills continue to benefit our patients. We continually assess this to make sure we are meeting the needs of our patients, and using each area in the way that best supports safe and effective care.”

QA has more than 900 beds across its Cosham site, with the hospital trust which runs it also operating St Mary’s Hospital in Portsmouth and the community hospitals in Petersfield and Gosport.