NHS beds at the PRU lost to Private Patients?

12.00.00am GMT Thu 11th Sep 2003

Local Liberal Democrat Chris Maines has expressed fears that limited NHS beds at the Princess Royal University are earmarked for private patients.

"The lost of NHS beds will lead to longer waits and place further pressure on services", claims Cllr Maines.

Suggestions that an area equivalent to 2 wards in the new hospital has been reserved solely for private patients and an advertisement in the national press seeking a new Commercial Director to develop the Private Patients Initiative has led Cllr Maines to write to the Hospital Trust's Chief Executive.

Staff at the PRU are alarmed that despite the shortage of NHS beds, a larger area on the top floor of the new hospital has been left unused whilst plans to fit it out as a private wing are formulated.

"It is now accepted that the 525 beds at the PRU are not big enough to meet local demand," said Cllr Maines, "like other PFI hospitals there were financial reasons why it was built with insufficient beds."

"This area could provide 50 extra beds which are needed for NHS patients to reduce the delays and waiting lists."

A recent recruitment advertisement offered up to £65,000 pa for "a high profile dynamic Commercial Director" to lead the Hospital Trust's development of private patients services.

Cllr Maines says "I am not against private healthcare but you would expect an NHS Trust to concentrate on providing an excellent service rather developing a private practice on the side."

Chris Maines says he understands that the PRU has been full and ran out of beds on several occasions "The new hospital building is a great improvement but it has already reached capacity over the summer. How will it deal with the extra pressures on beds that occur during the winter? The Trust should be fighting for every extra bed it can, rather than dabbling in building a private practice."