Hospitals in Oxfordshire have reached crisis point as bed numbers drop and nursing levels plummet through illness.
The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust yesterday revealed it had one spare intensive care bed out of 24, for the entire county.
The situation is exacerbated by staff calling in sick with colds and viruses.
But director of nursing and patient services Tricia Hart said that although acute hospitals were stretched to the limits, special measures put in place for the winter meant the county health care system had not seized up. Organisations throughout Oxfordshire are trying to quash pressures in the county by joining forces.
Mrs Hart said: "We have held daily meetings with other trusts, including the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, the Community Health NHS Trust and the Ambulance NHS Trust, and social services.
"I am considering extending the daily reviews beyond January 5 if it looks as though the pressures could get worse."
Story date: Thursday 30 December
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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