PATIENTS were kept in inappropriate beds after a rehabilitation ward closed, a health boss admitted.
The number of patients placed on wards not suited to their needs increased after the Blackburn ward was closed, councillors were told.
Anne Asher, director for acute services at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, was speaking after ward B4 re-opened at Queen's Park Hospital.
She told the health scrutiny panel at Blackburn with Darwen Council: "There was a slight increase. We managed well after Christmas but after New Year there was quite a blip. But we are bringing this down on a daily basis."
Mrs Asher had previously told the committee the trust had not warned Blackburn with Council's social services department prior to November's closure, caused by low staffing levels.
Yet the council's deputy director of social services, David Keram-brum, said the closure did not cause the department problems looking after people discharged from hosp-ital.
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