Weston hospital A&E night closures due to doctor shortage

A hospital's accident and emergency department is to close temporarily overnight because it cannot find enough senior doctors to staff it.

It comes after a health watchdog rated Weston-super-Mare's General Hospital's emergency care as "inadequate".

A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report warned "significant improvements" must be made.

The hospital's trust said it will close its A&E unit between 22:00 and 08:00 BST from 4 July.

Medical director Dr Peter Collins described it as "a very difficult decision" but said "it is our ability to recruit that is our challenge, not our ability to care".

He added: "A temporary overnight closure gives us time to work with local GPs, community services, social care colleagues and neighbouring hospitals to strengthen, redesign and rebuild our urgent and emergency care service in North Somerset."

Following an inspection in March, the CQC identified a lack of support for the emergency department from other departments and a lack of senior doctors, which meant a "critical over-reliance" on locum staff.

They also found problems with the flow of patients in the hospital, leading to overcrowding and patients waiting too long to be admitted.

Sir Mike Richards, chief inspector of hospitals, described Weston Area Health NHS Trust's "continuing difficulties" in recruiting senior medical staff as "a matter of concern".

He added: "We are fully aware that the trust will need to work with commissioners and other neighbouring providers to ensure that it is properly meeting the needs of people who live in north Somerset."

The Trust said it has experienced "severe challenges" with recruiting and retaining senior doctors to staff the A&E department and "needs to find new ways to address this".

Weston MP John Penrose said it was essential the night-time closure was only temporary and re-opened with improvements as soon as possible.

He said: "The hospital leadership have promised me that's what's planned, but I will be speaking to other regional and national health chiefs to insist that they provide whatever the hospital needs to get this vital part of Weston's medical services back on its feet as soon as possible."