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

A ward at South Moor Hospital in Craghead, near Stanley, will be closed for three months from the end of July.

Health bosses say the closure will affect a small number of patients. The rest of the hospital will remain open. Out-patient clinics and x-ray sessions will continue as normal.

Currently there are three patients on the 20-bed ward, which is used for patients who are ready to leave hospital but awaiting discharge into nursing or residential homes.

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

Trust chief executive John Saxby 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. We will obviously review that situation during that time."