Is a ‘critical shortfall’ in hospital beds putting patient safety at risk?

Doctors on the Isle of Man have claimed a ‘critical shortfall’ in inpatient bed capacity at Noble’s Hospital is posing a direct risk to people’s lives.The Medical Staff Committee is calling for ‘immediate government intervention’ to support the simultaneous demands of emergency admissions and planned surgery.It claims that Manx Care has reduced the number of beds by 46 percent – something the health body disputes.Chief Executive Teresa Cope told Manx Radio it’s been an ‘incredibly difficult’ winter and says efforts to configure wards have come at the ‘worst possible time’: