AN ELDERLY patient with pneumonia was moved to a hospital in Birmingham against her family's wishes because the Worcestershire Royal was full.

Gwynneth Jenkins, aged 86, was one of five patients transferred to Selly Oak hospital on Sunday night because other patients needed their beds.

Her family say they are annoyed because she is frail and easily confused.

Son-in-law Jim Wheldon, from St Peter's, Worcester, said: "She's confused and very ill. The probability is that she isn't going to live much longer.

"Why they have to transfer anyone is terrible, but the fact that they chose to move a frail and elderly woman is unbelievable. We are very annoyed.

"We clearly didn't want her to go."

Mrs Jenkins was admitted to Worcestershire Royal on Thursday after a fall at Ravenstone Nursing Home in Droitwich.

On arrival, she was diagnosed with pneumonia, but remained in the A& E observation unit and then the medical assessment unit until she was moved on Sunday night.

Mr Wheldon added that even more frustrating was that fact that no one at the hospital could tell him where Selly Oak hospital was, or give him a contact telephone number.

"In the end I was passed to an ambulance driver who gave me rough directions, but then I had to spend a lot of time trying to track down my mother-in-law."

A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said five patients were transferred to Selly Oak on Sunday because it was the nearest hospital with any spare beds.

"We are very busy and we know that other hospitals are also feeling the pressure as we have been receiving requests from them for beds.

"There is no epidemic or single cause. It's just a busy time of year.

"What we have to do is look at every patient and decide how best we can meet their needs, as well as meeting the needs of all other patients coming through.

"We apologise to all those inconvenienced."