THE much-criticised £132 million Great Western Hospital will not have enough beds to cope with the projected numbers of patients, according to its chief executive.

With just two months to go until the GWH's completion, Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust has unveiled plans to move about 100 administration staff into temporary accommodation to make way for more wards.

And the trust is also discussing plans to build a further extension on adjoining land to the east of the hospital site at Commonhead, in addition to the 60-bed rehabilitation unit.

Chief executive Sonia Mills outlined the plans in her report to the trust board, which is due to meet tomorrow.

The report states: "We are now actively working to convert the office accommodation in the new building to ward space, which would become effective in October 2003 and thereby give us further capacity for that winter.

"This is, of course, disappointing to a number of staff who were anticipating moving to the accommodation planned for them in the new building."

The fitting out of the new ward areas will obviously incur further expense, although this is likely to be shouldered by the Strategic Health Authority. The move is sure to inflame critics of the original plan who have long argued that GWH would not be able to cope with Swindon's expected population explosion.

The present population of the town is about 153,000 and is set to break the 200,000 mark by 2008.

Councillor Dr Charles Lister (Con, Abbey Meads), a former GP, has always maintained that the GWH's 551 beds were not sufficient.

He said: "I hate to say I told you so, but it does seem like that doesn't it?

"I have to say I am delighted that they have taken this action. The lack of available bed spaces is something that I and many others have been concerned about for a long time now."

Partially funded through private finance, the new hospital will have a capacity of 464 inpatient beds and 87-day case beds when it opens in November.

It will have 19 per cent more clinical floor space than Princess Margaret Hospital and will be supported by a 60-bed rehabilitation unit.

Hospital spokesman, Chris Birdsall, said: "Last year, we saw a rise in the number of emergency admissions which combined with the number of patients waiting to be discharged into the community has meant that we have suffered a shortage of places.

"We want to maximise space in the new hospital to provide as much space for patient care as possible.

"We are in the business of looking after patients and obviously we do all we can to ensure they get the best treatment."

Dismissing the new hospital's critics, he said: "It is not a case of 'I told you so'. The decision reflects our flexible approach towards patient care.

"I must stress that this is not a PR exercise. These will be real beds for the people who need them. As a trust we are concerned with substance rather than gloss.

"The NHS is a constantly evolving thing and it is wrong to equate good health care with the number of available beds.

"A lot of work has been put into expanding services to allow patients to be cared for in their own homes.

"We are striving to ensure that the borough gets the best hospital to meet the needs of the local community and if that means making improvements at this late stage, so be it."