Four-month closure of private wing at PEH

THE private wing at Guernsey's main hospital will be closed for around four months because of staff shortages - but health chiefs say patient care will not suffer.

Victoria Wing at the Princess Elizabeth will shut in approximately two weeks after the laying of new flooring has been completed in Ozanne Ward.

A Health and Social Services spokesman said the move was a result of forecast staff shortages over the next few months, which meant the ward had to be shut until they could recruit more.

'Patient and staff safety are at the heart of the decision to temporarily close Victoria Wing,' he said. 'There are currently 16 to 18 vacancies in medical and surgical services, with a predicted increase to 28 vacancies by the end of the year and some of these are at senior levels.'

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