A SHORTAGE of beds at a North-East hospital is continuing to cause problems, it has been claimed.

Since it opened in 2001, the £96m privately-financed University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, has faced criticism that it was built with too few beds.

Now a senior official from Derwentside Primary Care Trust (PCT), an NHS organisation in the area the hospital serves, has spoken out about capacity problems.

Wynn Griffiths, chief executive of the trust, told a PCT board meeting that capacity problems were making life difficult for patients and health care staff.

"We are doing our level best in difficult circumstances, but the results are falling short across the county. It is because of North Durham that the figure is falling down.

"It is often quite difficult to get patients into beds at North Durham because the beds are full," said Mr Griffiths.

But, despite the continuing criticism over bed shortages, there are no plans to extend the Durham hospital.

Instead, County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is introducing a package of measures designed to free up more beds at the hospital, which is smaller than its predecessor, Dryburn General Hospital.

Many of the measures involve joint working between the hospital trust, local PCTs and the ambulance services.

Among the measures introduced or planned are:

* A new discharge lounge within North Durham to smooth the discharge of patients from the hospital.

* Plans to offer non-seriously injured patients the opportunity to go to Shotley Bridge minor injuries unit.

* Extra staff recruitment for North Durham's accident and emergency (A&E) unit.

* A PCT initiative to provide extra support to local nursing homes with high rates of A&E attendances.

* Some Category C (non-seriously injured) calls to be managed by Emergency Care Practitioner.

John Saxby, chief executive of the County Durham hospitals trust, said: "We are working alongside the local primary care trusts, ambulance trust and mental health trust to make the best use of resources at the A&E unit at North Durham, and the minor injuries unit at Shotley Bridge Hospital.

"Currently, there is a target that 90 per cent of patients visiting A&E departments should be admitted or treated and released inside four hours. The trust is meeting this target, with more than 95 per cent of patients seen within this time.

"A target of 98 per cent will be introduced in the new year, and the trust is working hard to reach this."