LOW morale at Weston General Hospital could be affecting patient treatment, an independent report has claimed. A study by Weston Hospital

LOW morale at Weston General Hospital could be affecting patient treatment, an independent report has claimed. A study by Weston Hospital Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Forum also said staffing levels were 'too low' after it carried out a ward inspection earlier this year.Bleeps alerting nurses to patients requiring urgent assistance could not be heard, according to the findings of PPI members Reverend Fernley Symons and Maureen Livesey. They conducted an investigation to encourage staff to share any concerns they might have had about the hospital.Members of the forum, made up of residents in the area who aim to improve how healthcare is delivered, also spoke to patients and relatives to find out what issues they thought most important while spending time at the hospital in Grange Road.One ward visited by the pair at 2pm on January 22 found four nurses on duty, including a senior nurse, with responsibility for 29 beds. The report concluded: "The low level of morale is a serious issue and a high priority should be given to addressing this. A higher morale would enable staff to work much more efficiently and effectively."The successes of the hospital are real and should be noted, but the problems are real too, and at the peril of obscuring the successes, they must be addressed."A hospital spokesman said: "The snapshot visit by the PPI Forum took place seven months ago and since then the hospital has implemented many positive changes under its new chief executive, Lorene Read. "Among these has been the introduction of a new attendance policy which has improved the morale of many staff, who can now see sickness absence being managed well throughout the hospital. "Also since January, we are pleased to report rates of hospital-acquired infection are coming down significantly.