Delays by Frank Dobson over the future of Oxfordshire's community hospitals has caused a staffing crisis and led to extra bed closures.

The Health Secretary was due to decide the fate of the hospitals last December - but delayed the decision and sought further meetings with health managers.

The affected hospitals - at Watlington and Burford, earmarked to close, and at a host of others set to lose beds - cannot find enough nurses willing to take jobs that may not exist in future. Penny Thewlis, chief officer of the Oxfordshire Community Health Council, said: "There is a recruitment problem in community hospitals which means that at any one time somewhere in the region of 30 community hospital beds are closed."

Ironically, protesters say if Mr Dobson decides to close hospitals and make bed reductions, remaining staff will know where they stand but will have less beds to nurse.

Under the proposed cuts by the health authority, to save £1.15m, 70 beds would close, while 18 would be created by a new Bicester Community Hospital. The John Radcliffe Hospital is experiencing problems discharging patients because there are insufficient beds at community hospitals where they can continue their recovery.

People are potentially not necessarily so likely to come and work for a trust if beds are reducing."

Story date: Friday 16 April

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