NHS CHIEFS have been accused of depriving Thornbury Hospital of badly needed beds in a bid to save cash.

Hospital campaigners claim they now have evidence that beds have been allowed to stay "mothballed" despite a waiting list of patients who need to use them.

Henderson ward had 24 intermediate care beds - used largely for people referred to hospital for short periods by their GP or on their way home after acute surgery - until last year when North Bristol NHS Trust took four beds out of use, citing lack of demand.

Town councillors and hospital supporters were suspicious of the motives and feared the loss could affect the viability of the whole hospital.

Now they have obtained official figures showomg how admissions have been refused on an almost weekly basis over the last five months because of non-availability of beds.

"We've been hearing rumours for a long time that demand for beds in Henderson ward was outstripping supply and that people were being turned away," said Cllr Shirley Holloway, town council vice-chairman and chairman of the hospital's League of Friends.

"When we expressed our concerns to trust officials we were told that wasn't the case and made to feel we were making a fuss about nothing.

"But now we have the figures and they show we were right all along. It's clear that if those four beds were still available then people would very definitely be using them.

"It's outrageous that while we were being told there was no demand for them people were actually being turned away.

"For instance, in just one week in January eight requests for beds - four from GPs and four from the acute sector - were refused. The following week there was another four requests from the acute sector.

"The referral figures are cumulative so the waiting lists could be getting bigger every week. "The whole issue is very disturbing and we shall be asking the trust what they plan do about it."

The running of the hospital is set to be taken over this April by the South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust which set minds at rest last November by pledging not to close the facility.

Town Mayor Cllr Alan Jones said the beds issue cast doubt on the value of health service promises.

"It's bound to make us sceptical about their assurances in respect of the future of Thornbury Hospital," he said.

"Somewhere along the line there is a hidden agenda and you can be sure it involves staffing levels and costs. Henderson ward's true capacity is 24 beds."

The Gazette sought comment from North Bristol NHS Trust but a response was still awaited as the paper went to press.

The issue will come under the spotlight at Tuesday's town council meeting (Town Hall, 7.30pm).

Councillors are also holding a special meeting on Monday (2pm) when they will be briefed by representatives from the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership in connection with controversial plans to transfer beds from Thornbury Hospital's Grace ward - for the elderly mentally infirm - to Blackberry Hill Hospital in Bristol.