OXFORD’S John Radcliffe Hospital is bringing in new beds and scheduling more operating time to battle delays and an upsurge in patient numbers.

The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust pledged to create 70 extra beds with more operating time, despite being faced with having to cut £44m from its budget.

The trust issued an apology for distress caused to patients hit by treatment delays, as it moved to end uncertainty about who is running the NHS trust, responsible for the county’s main hospitals.

The trust has recently seen the departure of its chief executive Trevor Campbell Davis, who is to be an NHS representative at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. His deputy Chris Hurst, the acting chief executive since June, has left to become finance director of health in Wales.

Paul Farenden has been appointed interim chief executive.

Mr Farenden, who has been chief executive of three NHS trusts and has 40 years’ experience in healthcare, will begin work on Monday.

He said: “It is a challenging time to join the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals, as it is for the whole NHS. However, it is an organistion that benefits from having an abundance of talent and hard-working clinicians and support staff.”

He takes charge with local hospitals bracing themselves for one of the most difficult winters in recent times.

There has already been a significant rise in demand for hospital beds and a fear of a rise in cancelled operations.

Elaine Strachan-Hall, director of nursing and clinical leadership, admitted the trust had been taken by surprise by the influx of patients.

She said: “We have experienced an increase in the number of patients, who need emergency treatment and this has meant that some less urgent cases have waited longer than usual.

“We understand how stressful it is for patients who find their treatment delayed and we are really sorry for any distress caused to them and to their families. Patients are seen according to priority, based on their clinical need.

“Although we make huge efforts to plan patient care, there are times when we have so many patients coming through the doors that we cannot plan as effectively as we would like.

“Opening extra beds and theatre time has helped, but we are continuing to monitor the situation daily, and to respond.”

Dr Peter Skolar, chairman of Oxfordshire County Council’s health scrutiny committee, warned the extra demand on the JR’s services could only add to financial pressures on the trust.

He said: “They are having to make savings of more than £40m and they are not going to do that by opening more wards and theatres. It is a difficult situation for the JR.”

Dr Skolar said continual changes in the leadership had also had an adverse impact.

He said: “It reached the stage where people were being told the chairman Dame Fiona Caldicott would have to take over. But a chairman is not a chief executive.”

Dame Fiona said the trust was still faced with appointing a permanent chief executive, a new director of finance and a new medical director.