Medical Professionals Support Keetch's Call For More Beds

12.00.00am GMT Mon 18th Mar 2002

A letter of support for Paul Keetch's Campaign for More Beds was received from the Secretary of the Hospital Medical Committee (see enclosure).

Mr Keetch said, "my call for sufficient beds for our Hospital has been supported by the people at the coal face of the NHS. The planned reduction in bed numbers is, as the health professionals point out, clinically untenable and places untold pressure on the already hard pressed after care services. There is a need to re-evaluate the bed numbers required for the new Hospital this year!"

"On a more positive note, I was pleased to see that the pressure placed on this Government by myself and others has culminated in the new unit at Hillside getting the go-ahead. This is just a first step, more needs to be done, and I shall not rest until we get the services that Herefordshire needs."