THIS WEEK IN 1995: Patients uprooted at night to save money

In a bid to rationalise services, patients from the east wing at St Mary’s Hospital, Milton, were often uprooted and taken by ambulance across the road to wards in the main building.

Hospital management said the position was unavoidable at weekends when there were not enough doctors to ensure adequate cover at both sites on either side of Milton Road.

Milford ward, which took patients with skin complaints, was often closed at weekends, making a saving of about £1,000 every 48 hours.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust spokesperson Leigh Richardson said closing the ward saved about £20,000 to £30,000 a year.