PATIENTS are being moved out of wards at Bishopstoke's Mount Hospital because staffing levels have reached crisis point.

After years of uncertainty the axe is already set to fall on The Mount with a replacement package of services being developed to come on stream next summer.

Now it has been revealed that the in-patient service currently provided by the hospital will move to a new temporary ward at Winchester's Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

Despite advertising, Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust has not been able to fill the posts at The Mount.

It says that it has had to resort to the latest move for the patients' safety. It will also release up to £325,000 a year which will help clear the health authority's £13.1m deficit.

Patients needing in-patient services following their treatment at the Royal Hampshire County will be admitted to one of two purpose-built 28-bed wards on the site.

The trust's board has responded to the concerns about the risks of moving elderly patients by ensuring the move will take place over a period of weeks.

Patients will be transferred in small groups, subject to approval by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

No patients at The Mount will be transferred unless they choose to do so or it is in their best interests clinically.

The trust will be working closely with the primary care trusts of Eastleigh and Test Valley South, Mid Hampshire and social services to make sure patients receive the right care.