Six beds will close in Frost Ward and six in Glenroi ward in a move which is seen by some nurses at the hospital as a way of managing nursing workloads because of staff shortages.

Nurses union representative Susan Pearce who came from Sydney on Monday to meet with local nurses said she is concerned the system won’t work unless the community nursing services at Orange Base Hospital are better resourced.

She said the new plan will have a flow-on effect through the hospital and in particular will place more pressure on emergency departments where decisions are made as to whether or not a patient is admitted.

Greater Western Area Health has cited the workload of nurses as one of the reasons for looking at the ‘surge bed’ option.

“The GWAHS has received issues of concern about the workload of nurses raised by the NSW Nurses Association.

“In response, GWAHS is undertaking an internal review of the workload of nurses at Orange Health Service,” said eastern cluster general manager, Narelle Davis.

“We want to make it quite clear that the nurses did not initiate this issue over workloads,” said union spokeswoman Susan Pearce.

“Another major concern for nurses is that if a decision is made to open up the ‘surge’ beds the hospital will have difficulty finding staff at short notice,” Ms Pearce said.

‘There are other issues - its not just about nurses it is about caring for patients,” she said.

Ms Pearce said many factors need to be taken into consideration when deciding patients can be treated at home by community nurses.

“They do a wonderful job, but if for example you have to send home an elderly diabetic with a leg ulcer who lives alone there are a whole range of issues such as their feeding and care which need to be taken into account,” she said.