DOCTORS have been warned not to send their patients to Frenchay Hospital as a beds crisis continues.

The caution comes at a time when North Bristol NHS Trust is struggling to cope after infections at both Southmead and Frenchay Hospitals forced nine ward closures.

A serious problem with bed capacity and staff shortages were also blamed for the measures.

The warnings were made in letters from the director of South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust to all the region's GPs and nursing homes.

Lynda Dando last week told doctors the "extremely difficult time" was due to get worse over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

She also urged staff at nursing homes to look after residents within the homes, where it was "clinically safe".

Ms Dando said in the first letter: "As of 9pm yesterday (March 17 ) North Bristol NHS Trust had 50 patients waiting in Frenchay A&E and 35 patients at Southmead, with virtually no bed capacity."

In the second letter, she added: "There are nine wards closed due to the Norwalk virus, the amount of staff absent due to illness has increased and the hospitals are experiencing a large amount of emergency admissions.

"These factors increase in magnitude as we approach the Easter Bank Holiday period.

"I am asking once more, therefore, that you please try to do everything possible to avoid admissions to hospital during this extremely difficult time."

The revelations of a beds crisis comes just two weeks after it was announced Frenchay Hospital will be downgraded.

Northavon MP Steve Webb, who is campaigning to save Frenchay, said: "The idea that the long-term answer to the problems of our local NHS is fewer beds is totally unacceptable if we can't even cope at the moment.

"There are clearly not enough beds at present, and with the local population set to grow substantially, what chance is there of coping in the future if there are fewer beds?"

The NHS and the Department of the Health launched an internal action plan to help both hospitals through the crisis and South Gloucestershire PCT's intermediate care team was in action over the holiday weekend.

Dr Martin Morse, medical director for North Bristol NHS Trust, said the Norwalk virus had affected ward closures all over Britain and northern Europe and had added to staff illness.