Hospital chiefs insist there is no bed shortage crisis at Noble’s Hospital.

Mike Quinn, director of hospital services, was responding to claims reported to the Examiner that there have been no spare beds at Noble’s on at least one day recently - and patients have been stuck in A&E for hours, waiting for admission to a ward.

It is claimed that the bed shortage has been exacerbated by the decommissioning earlier this year of ward 5, with the loss of 21 medical beds. Chemotherapy services are being relocated there.

But Mr Quinn denies there is a problem.

He says since April there has been an average of nine spare medical beds a day, reducing to an average of five from the end of July.

Mr Quinn said no elective surgery has been cancelled as a result of a lack of beds.

And he said the average waiting time in A&E has remained at below two hours and 40 minutes since 2016, despite a significant increase in patients attending.

Mr Quinn said: ’Bed capacity is monitored carefully at 7.30am each morning; a report is produced advising the number of medical beds available across the Noble’s Hospital site.

’This is subsequently reported at the 8am daily hospital assurance meeting. Bed capacity at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital is monitored similarly.

’I can confirm that since April 14 when we commenced daily reporting and further to the decommissioning of ward 5 that took place on March 29, the average number of empty medical beds available at 7.30am is nine beds per day.

Medical beds available at the start of each day during the week beginning July 30 ranged from a low of two on July 31 to eight on August 1 and 3.

The average that week was five empty beds per day.

Mr Quinn said: ’Furthermore, I can confirm that no elective surgery was cancelled due to the lack of beds during the same period.’

He also confirmed that the mean average waiting time in Noble’s A&E for the year to date is 158 minutes (2 hours 38 minutes), compared to an average waiting time of 156 minutes (2 hours 36 minutes) in the previous two financial year (2016-17 and 2017-18).

But he added: ’It is important to note, however, that these sustained average waiting times have been achieved despite a year-on-year increase in the numbers of patients attending the Noble’s A&E department.’

He said in 2016-17, 35,596 patients attended. But attendances increased to 37,281 in 2017-18 and based on the first four months of this year attendances in 2018-19 are forecast to increase to 43,530.

He added: ’I have specifically reviewed A&E activity performance for the period July 30 to August 5. The average waiting time in A&E during this period was 178 minutes (2 hours 58 minutes).’

He said given that during this period the average number of empty medical beds across Noble’s at 7.30am was five, this indicated the number of available beds in the hospital did not contribute to delays to patient awaiting admission from A&E.’