Fewer patients will be turned away from Oxford hospitals after the Government handed over £750,000 for three new intensive care beds.

Figures revealed earlier this month that one in five emergency patients rushed to intensive care were being turned away because of a lack of beds.

Health bosses blamed the mayhem on a shortage of intensive care beds and qualified intensive care nurses, coupled with a virulent flu strain sweeping Oxfordshire.

The three new beds - and a fall in the number of flu cases - should bring a major improvement, according to health chiefs. As well as the one-off payment to fund the new beds, the authority has been given £220,000 to help combat health problems caused by winter weather.

Andrea Young, Oxfordshire Health Authority's director of development, said: "This funding is excellent news. This should meet most, if not all, local need for intensive care beds and help some of the emergency cases from outside the county."

At present, there are 27 intensive care beds in the county - nine at the John Radcliffe Hospital and 16 at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, and two at The Horton Hospital in Banbury. The three extra beds at the John Radcliffe should help reduce waiting times for operations which need intensive back-up and help cut the number of cancelled operations.

Adverts are being placed for new specialist nurses and the authority hopes to have the first bed operating next month.

Story date: Wednesday 27 January

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