A “CRITICAL staffing shortage” at a ward in Bronglais Hospital has led to the closure of 11 beds from next month and fears that patient safety could be compromised.

In a letter to staff, seen by the Cambrian News, the hospital’s head of nursing Dawn Jones said that 11 beds at the Iorwerth ward and Cardiac Monitoring Unit – which looks after patients with severe heart problems – will be closed from 2 July due to a “critical staffing shortage".

A former chair of the Hywel Dda Community Health Council said the situation is an “extreme worry”, and is a “real safety issue”.

Paul Hinge, who is also a Ceredigion county councillor, said that the problems of staffing level need to be “urgently looked at.”

“It’s absolutely unthinkable that they are going to close 11 beds, because we need every single bed that exists in Bronglais and more,” Cllr Hinge told the Cambrian News.

“This move will mean further delays in planned care and greater pressure on providing acute care to those in need.

“I understand that they, as all hospitals, are struggling for recruitment but closing beds is an extreme worry.”

Joe Teape, director of operations for Hywel Dda, said: “A series of environmental upgrades is currently being tested at Bronglais Hospital involving refurbishment of patient areas.

“As a pilot, improvement work will take place on Iorwerth Ward. This will involve the temporary reduction of some of the ward’s beds to enable these refurbishments to take place.

“This temporary project, commencing over the summer during our less busy period, will also enable us to focus on nurse staff recruitment to increase the number of permanent staff employed at the hospital in preparation for reopening the beds for the winter period.

“If the project is successful, it will become a rolling cycle of improvement work at the hospital over future summer periods.”

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