A HOSPITAL ward will effectively close for two months due to finance problems.

Staff on Sapphire Ward at Ellesmere Port Hospital will be re-deployed for eight weeks, but health chiefs stressed patient care won't be affected.

Sapphire Ward is a 21-bed orthopaedic unit providing rehabilitation for patients who have had operations such as hip replacements at the Countess of Chester.

An Ellesmere Port & Neston Primary Care Trust spokeswoman explained: 'We have a duty to provide a safe and caring environment for our patients which includes maintaining a high staff/patient ratio.

'As a result, we routinely hire bank/agency staff to cover periods when our nurses are off sick or go on holiday.

'However, a new NHS pay structure has increased annual leave for some nursing groups and we have had to hire the equivalent of 15 full-time staff to safeguard the welfare of our patients.

'This means we are overspending our bank/agency budget.'

She added: 'The trust reviewed the way Sapphire Ward was operating.

'We found some patients were staying for more than 100 days when they could have been discharged much more quickly into the care of a nursing home or return to their own homes with support from social services, therapy staff and other care staff in line with national good practice.

'As a result, we have decided to temporarily redeploy staff from Sapphire on to our other three wards for two months, February and March.

'Patients will continue to receive the care they need but move on to more appropriate care - in a nursing home or their own home - more quickly.

'No PCT staff will be made redundant and we'll reduce the amount we spend hiring temporary nursing cover.

'Staff will be re-deployed to the other wards shortly and we will monitor the situation, on a daily basis, over the next two months.'

Bob Stamp, director of provider services and lead nurse, said: 'I'm satisfied this initiative won't be detrimental to patient care - on the contrary, patients will benefit because they'll get the care they need in the right place at the right time.'

The decision to redeploy staff was made at the PCT's board meeting on Wednesday.

A concerned woman, who doesn't want to be named, called the Pioneer to say: 'It's a financial cut they need to make. I believe it will have a detrimental effect on patient care at the hospital.'