PATIENTS and relatives caught up in the beds crisis at Worcester Royal Infirmary have been urged to be flexible as health chiefs battle to ease pressures.

The call comes from Worcestershire County Council social services boss Peter Pinfield, following a high-powered meeting between health representatives to reduce bed blockages at WRI.

Spare beds in community hospitals such as Evesham, Bromsgrove and Tenbury are to be utilised to free acute beds at Ronkswood Hospital.

A £1m cash injection from county council reserves has also been earmarked to help move elderly patients out of acute beds and into residential and nursing homes.

"Choices are hard. If people don't want to block the beds they have to be flexible on where they go," said Mr Pinfield.

"In the situation that faces us it is not unreasonable for them to be flexible while we sort it out."

Representatives from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Social Services, Worcestershire Health Authority and Worcestershire Community and Mental Health Trust met yesterday to explore options to relieve the current beds situation.

Harold Musgrove, chairman of the Acute Hospitals Trust, welcomed the outcome.

"We are now looking forward to seeing some significant improvements," he said.

"This will relieve the terrible pressure on our doctors and nurses who are working so hard to deal with a growing number of emergency admissions coming through the doors of the A&E department."

In recent weeks ambulance crews and patients have faced lengthy waits at Ronkswood's A&E because of a bed shortage, prompting concern as services at Kidderminster General Hospital are in the course of being switched to Worcester.

Mr Pinfield said there were around 20 beds available across the county to transfer patients out of acute beds.

"Most people don't want to stop in an acute bed for longer than is necessary. They want to get back home, recoup or have independence or go to a residential or nursing home," he said.