THE Chief Executive of Colchester Hospital is trying to encourage families to keep their loved ones at home unless it is critical for them to be in hospital.

A masterplan is being drawn up by by health bosses to avert a winter beds crisis at Colchester Hospital.

If nothing is done to create more bed space, the hospital could be full for the next three months.

The East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, discussed the situation at a board meeting yesterday.

Board members were tasked with finding ways to avert the winter crisis.

Chief Executive Nick Hulme said it was time to take a new approach discouraging unnecessary visits.

He said: “What the public still believe is hospitals are safe places, and if you are unwell it is the best place.

“In truth, it’s not and they can be bad places in terms of your wellbeing.

“If you are elderly and a bit confused going into a strange environment is frightening.

“Certainly if there is a clinical reason it is the best place to be, but otherwise it’s not.”

Data from the board papers shows without taking into account any improvement plans, beds which fall under the category of medical specialities will be above full capacity each month until spring.

The report added: “There are significant pressures forecast for the hospital from November to March where the occupancy is expected to exceed 100 per cent for three months for the whole hospital.”

Hospital bosses hope to achieve a 92 per cent bed occupancy, but in order to achieve this the hospital will need to put an extra 62 beds in place next month.

Eight extra beds may also be needed for the women/cancer wards and another 13 for surgery.

A masterplan is being put in place to try to prevent a completely full hospital over the winter months.

As it stands the only option considered viable for additional bed capacity is to use an extra 28 beds from the Nayland ward.

It will take total bed numbers from 545 to 573, from December to March.

The report added: “Workforce shortfalls have been mitigated to ensure safe staffing levels are in place in key areas.

“The children’s registrar gap is still a concern, agency staff have been sourced.”

Discussions are still going ahead as to how the winter pressures will be tackled.

A Trust spokesman said: “We are working with our partners including GPs and our commissioners to make sure we have a really good plan in place to manage any increases in the need for urgent care and treatment this winter.

“The plan of action we want to achieve was presented to the Trust board meeting but it is a work in progress and discussions are still going ahead.”