Hospital puts up 'no vacancy' sign

Waikato Hospital is struggling to find beds for an increasing number of patients.

At midday today their occupancy forecast for the weekend was 105 per cent. Normal weekend occupancy is usually 95 per cent.

Group manager Hayley McConnell says the number of acute admissions was up this morning and already there have been major disruptions to elective surgeries.

She says staff opened more beds but projections for the weekend show no let up in comparison to average occupancy.

The hospital has alerted accident and medical centres, rest homes and all Midland and Waikato DHB hospitals to the situation.

- NEWSTALK ZB