ANOTHER hutted ward at Hereford County Hospital could close on Monday.

Leadon ward, home to medical patients, is the next of the old wards in line to be axed, four months earlier than planned.

Members of Hereford Hospitals Trust will be asked to make the decision at a board meeting tomorrow (Friday).

In a report presenting a case for bringing the date forward, acting chief executive Graham Smith said the closure has proved operationally necessary.

He said it was possible because 14 additional beds can be made available in the new hospital in ward areas such as unused day rooms and through significant improvements in bed management, internal changes in clinical practice, reducing the length of stay in hospital and by changes in primary and community care.

The opening earlier this month of Hillside in Hereford, with 22 beds for intermediate care, and the commissioning of 12 community beds by Herefordshire Council's social services from Monday contributed to the recommendation.

He said the move would bring all medical patients together in the new hospital.

All permanent nursing staff working in Leadon ward will be reallocated to other wards, improving staffing levels and reducing the need for agency staff.

The earlier closure would also assist the trust in trying to recover its financial position and break even by the end of March.

In his report Mr Smith said it seemed to him the trust had lived in the shadow of 'not enough beds' for some time. It needed to show that patient care could be delivered in more contemporary ways.

"For example there continues to be a large variation in daily bed availability - in a recent but not atypical week it varied from four beds to 30 showing the need for improved scheduling of elective care," said Mr Smith.

"The internal debate on Leadon ward has been used to show what can be achieved when the energies of staff are released: identifying 14 contingency beds and the 'we'd rather staff fewer wards better with permanent staff than spread ourselves thinly' has been led by nursing staff in the main," said Mr Smith.