Addenbrooke's Hospital boss concerned about lack of beds

The boss of Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge said "mounting pressure" had caused a "fragile" situation

A hospital boss said he was the most concerned he has ever been about the lack of beds approaching winter.

Roland Sinker, chief executive of Addenbrooke's in Cambridge, said "mounting pressure" had caused a "fragile" situation.

Mr Sinker said the number of beds had been reduced by 62 due to distancing and more were being taken out of action to prevent the spread of infection.

The hospital plans to add 120 beds to help with Covid recovery, he said.

In a letter to staff, Mr Sinker said there had been "a recent doubling in Covid cases" and at least four cases were being admitted each day.

The hospital was also dealing with attendances at its emergency department being above pre-pandemic levels and a surgery backlog.

Roland Sinker praised staff for their "resilience" during the pandemic

Covid infection among staff and isolation measures were also creating a challenge for the hospitals as it was reducing staff numbers in an unpredictable way, Mr Sinker said.

"This winter, the line between success and failure is much narrower than before," he said.

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The hospital had "recruited significant numbers of additional staff" to help deal with the challenges caused by Covid and winter.

Mr Sinker praised staff for their "resilience" during the pandemic and said he was "immensely grateful".

He said Cambridge University Hospitals, the trust which runs Addenbrooke's and The Rosie Hospital, was being supported by NHS England and Improvement to open additional beds.,

The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment.