DOCTORS and health workers at Devizes Hospital are furious that patients have been transferred without warning from the Royal United Hospital in Bath because of a beds crisis.

Fifteen beds at Devizes had to be closed all summer, and GPs say money for reinvestment is non existant.

Four patients from Chippenham, Corsham, Melksham and Castle Combe were moved to Devizes on the night of Monday October 16 after a red alert was declared with 45 patients waiting on trollies to be admitted to RUH beds.

Dr Jo Pullen, chairman of the Devizes GPs committee, said: "They wanted to bring 15 patients, but we suggested that might not be very safe. It takes about 45 minutes to admit a patient we don't know and more than four would have put an unacceptable strain on our resources.

"We coped like we always cope, but it would have made it easier if we had been told earlier 8pm is not a good time."

Another patient was due to be transferred to Devizes on Tuesday, and it is likely there will be more.

"We are having a beds crisis and it's only October. We cope in the winter but it is hard without investment," Dr Pullen said.

"More nurses have been recruited but they will not arrive until mid-November. In the meantime, staff have been working double shifts and we had to call another doctor to help the one doctor who was on duty with the four admissions.

"I feel for the patients being transferred late at night. It must be very disorientating and disturbing for them. It's not fair. It should be better organised."

Devizes GPs have become increasingly angry with the Wiltshire and Swindon Healthcare Trust over the lack of any investment at Devizes Hospital and said the tranfer would increase pressure.

A trust spokesman said: "We are trying to make the best use of the NHS resources to make sure that people across western Wiltshire get the health care they need. We are trying to make the best use of beds. It could be patients from Devizes who need moving to Chippenham. Devizes is playing its part by freeing up beds at the RUH. It is in everyone's interests to allow admission of acutely ill patients, including those from Devizes."