EMERGENCY patients have been turned away from Bury General as the town's hospital crisis worsens.

Some 50 people, who were sent to casualty by their GPs, had to be taken to other hospitals last week because of Bury's bed shortage.

999 patients are being admitted but are stuck on trolleys waiting for a bed to be free.

And knee replacement operations have been cancelled for the second week in a row because there is nowhere for the patients to go.

Hospital bosses blame the crisis on bed-blocking. Elderly people who no longer need hospital treatment are taking up beds because social services cannot afford to move them to residential or nursing homes.

Mr Phillip Bacon, chief executive of Bury NHS Health Care Trust said: "For most of the week we have not been taking GP urgent admissions because we didn't have free beds."

According to Mr Bacon there are currently 30 patients still in Fairfield who do not need treatment. But this figure is disputed by social services who say there are eleven patients waiting for funding.

"It's a terrible situation which will only get worse as winter approaches. We're sorry for the patients, the relatives, the GPs and the patients stuck on trolleys," said Mr Bacon.

"We fully realise the problems of the social services but there are pressures across the system and the knock-on effects are very severe.

"We regret this very much and we are hopeful that the Health Authority will find some way to help us."

Social Services are currently looking at using Beech Grove in Chesham Road as a short-stay unit for elderly people who are not fit to go home but do not need hospital treatment.

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