BY PETE HENSHAW

WARNINGS of a winter crisis at Leighton Hospital have been voiced after it was revealed that the beds situation has not improved.

In September the GUARDIAN reported that Social Services patients were blocking beds at Leighton causing operations to be delayed. But with winter fast approaching little has been done to improve the situation.

Official figures released by Leighton show that at the end of October 33 patients were awaiting discharge compared with 46 at the end of August 2000.

Ten of these patients were awaiting Social Services action, an improvement of six, and a statement released by Leighton Hospital said that this was only a 'small improvement' on the situation.

The statement read: "Following discussions with Cheshire County Council Social Services some improvements have been made but with the additional annual winter pressures the situation remains under constant review."

Eddisbury MP Stephen O'Brien has now voiced concerns over the situation.

Mr O'Brien said the issue had been raised at a meeting of his constituency Health Forum which is attended by the providers of NHS services in the authority.

The MP has since raised the issue at a meeting of Cheshire MPs and county councillors and has entered into discussions with Director of Social Services Jo Williams.

"The Chief Executive from Leighton raised the issue at the Health Forum and the issue was well supported, particularly in relation to Leighton Hospital," Mr O'Brien said.

The situation was previously blamed on the budget cut-backs in Social Services which have been forced after the service overspent by £3 million last year.

On top of this, Social Services faces a £400 bill per week for the average person they discharge from hospitals around the county including Leighton.

Mr O'Brien maintained that this should not be a question of budget boundaries but making the public services work effectively together.

"Part of the problem is having the necessary services and professionals available to provide care when patients are discharged.

"And if this cannot happen quicker bed blocking falls back on Leighton Hospital and there is a knock on effect on the ability to deliver crucial services.

"I have raised my concerns with Social Services about bed blockages and the national nursing crisis which is causing overstretch in most parts of the NHS.

"The shortage of nurses is likely to put a severe strain on local health services over the winter months," added Mr O'Brien.

Leighton spokesman, Ian Lewsey, said: "Any extra beds being blocked is a problem and we are in the process of opening additional beds for winter. But recruiting the number of nurses needed to cope with that increase is proving difficult. Therefore any extra pressure on existing beds is going to be more critical," he added.

The total number of beds blocked has been reduced from 16 to 10 which is still equivalent to half a ward of beds but Mr Lewsey said Social Services were holding regular meetings with the hospital to solve the problem.

Moira Chapman, Vice-Chair of the county council's Social Services Committee, maintained everything would be done to ease the situation.

"We have a winter planning procedure in place, including a rapid response team to go to people's homes and assess the situation.

"We will try to move people as quickly as we can, but we have to treat them as human beings, she said.