A SPECIALIST stroke unit in Westbury has been shut down and patients forced to leave their beds because of a staffing crisis.

The stroke unit at Westbury Community Hospital was closed on Christmas Eve and 17 beds have been transferred for medical care.

Two patients were moved to nearby hospitals and health bosses claim a lack of staff is responsible for the temporary closure. The remaining eight beds on Catherine Ward have been shut down and the rest will follow when the stroke unit is officially closed on Friday.

A spokesman for the West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust said: "The reason for the temporary closure is problems in recruiting medical cover.

"This is not a planned closure and the unit will reopen when sufficient medical cover has been achieved. The PCT is looking at ways to recruit staff inc-luding working with other community hospitals.

"Two patients were transferred to other community hospitals on Christmas Eve and the rest will be similarly moved."

The PCT has stressed that the unit's 24 nurses and physiotherapists will not lose their jobs.

Specially trained staff have provided rehabilitation helping patients with speech and language therapy and dietary advice since the ward opened in January 2001.

A spokesman for the Stroke Association claimed it is unable to comment on policies and decisions taken at individual hospitals.

He said: "As an association we are campaigning for all hospitals to have specialist stroke services, and for all stroke patients to be treated in specialist units."