STAFF shortages have forced the temporary closure of a hospital ward.

A ward at South Moor Hospital, in Craghead, near Stanley, County Durham, will close for three months from Sunday.

Health bosses said the closure would affect a small number of patients, and that the rest of the hospital will remain open. Outpatient clinics and x-ray sessions will continue as normal.

There are three patients on the 20-bed ward that faces temporary closure.

It is used for patients who are ready to leave hospital but are awaiting discharge into nursing or residential homes.

Hospital officials are working with Social Services to ensure the patients will be found suitable accommodation of this type before the ward is closed.

John Saxby, the hospital trust's chief executive, said: "Discharge delays have been cut to almost zero. For the past several months, bed occupancy at South Moor has been running at less than 50 per cent.

"The ward has become difficult to staff and, as a result, we have been very heavily reliant on overtime and agency staff. Some of our nurses are long overdue annual leave, and we have not been able to find suitable replacements for them.

"The trust believes that it will be in all our best interests, including those of patients, if we close these inpatient beds from August 1 for three months."