Beds go in hospital review

Hospital beds in Bath and North East Somerset will become unavailable under new proposals by a cash-strapped primary care trust (PCT).

The PCT has to make £15m worth of savings to make up for an overspend at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

A total of 23 beds in St Martins, Paulton and Keynsham hospitals will become unavailable, subject to review, over the next two years.

A proposal to close Keynsham Clinic has been deferred, and a working group set up to look at developing a health park in the town.

Rhona MacDonald, chief executive of the PCT said: "We have consulted widely on the proposals and I believe that we can demonstrate that we have listened to the public and made changes as a result."