A NEW 30-bed ward is expected to open at a hospital which is creaking under the strain of too many patients.

Ealing Hospital, in Uxbridge Road, Southall came under attack last week when a policy document revealed a plan to leave patients on trolleys in the canteen, boardroom, chapel, lecture theatres and various out-patient areas in emergencies.

The policy categorises four stages from Level 1 where there are sufficient beds in the hospital to cope with demand, up to Level 4 where there is a risk of patients experiencing 12-hour trolley waits and urgent operations being cancelled, possibly for a second time.

John Blakesley, Ealing Hospital deputy chief executive, said the hospital had been on Level 4 status on 'a number of occasions' in the past month but putting patients in 'last-resort' areas such as the canteen and the gym had not been necessary as they had been diverted to other hospitals.

Mr Blakesley said: "It has been a relatively common event during the past month to have reached 100 per cent occupancy levels due to large numbers of emergency admissions.

"Typically, these have been elderly patients with medical rather than surgical needs.

"We have an agreement with other hospitals in west London to divert patients if it can be done safely by the London Ambulance Service. It's a collaborative situation, we share the pressure and it works both ways."

He added: "It would be wrong to say Ealing Hospital is close to collapse but it's true we are under strain. We are expecting to have a new modular pre-fab ward opening in April.

"The ward will provide another 30 beds and will cost between £500,000 and £700,000. London Regional Office said it is looking at our bid sympathetically and the local health authority has agreed to pay running costs for the coming financial year."

Director of hospital pressure group London Health Emergency Geoff Martin said: "Ealing Hospital is flying by the seat of its pants.

It's overstretched and under massive pressure and until considerably more capacity is added, these problems will remain. A crisis is just waiting to happen."

Ealing's casualty department was forced to close for two hours on December 31 owing to a lack of beds and severe pressure.

The current number of beds at the hospital is 319.