HUNDREDS more patients face being diverted to North Staffordshire's under-pressure accident unit as the overnight closure of Stafford Hospital's A&E is extended.

Almost 200 Stafford patients have been diverted to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire's accident unit in the first six weeks of the 10pm to 8am three-month closure.

But Stafford Hospital is now extending the shutdown until at least mid-May because of staffing problems.

It means an average of around 10 patients a night will be diverted to the Hartshill complex because they cannot be treated at Stafford.

It comes as the University Hospital is already missing its target to treat 95 per cent of A&E patients within four hours, with performance expected to fall to 93.8 per cent by March.

Community leaders today raised concerns over the added pressure on the University Hospital.

John Davis, chairman of North Staffordshire Pensioners' Convention, said: "I'm concerned this will create longer waiting times at the University Hospital.

"That will put extra pressure on our A&E and could put pressure on the finances of our own hospital."

Newcastle MP Paul Farrelly said: "The overnight closure of Stafford's A&E puts increased pressure on the University Hospital at a time when waiting times are already increasing."

NHS campaigner Ian Syme, left, called for extra payments to be made to the University Hospital to cover the additional costs of discharging more patients.

He said: "This will have an impact on the University Hospital which already struggles with capacity problems."

A spokesman for University Hospital, which is not receiving extra funding, said: "We will continue with the arrangements already in place to provide a safe service to patients until the issue is resolved."

Latest figures to January 16 show 387 patients, who would usually be treated in Stafford were diverted to other accident units since December 1, with 188 of them sent to the University Hospital.

It emerged yesterday that staff training at Stafford will not be completed until the end of February.

A decision on when the unit will reopen is expected to be made by the hospital trust on March 29 before a six-week planning period.

Chief operating officer at Mid Staffordshire Hospitals NHS Trust Maggie Oldham said: "The earliest Stafford's A&E department will reopen to overnight patients will be mid-May.

"Our recruitment drive has been hampered by the hospital's poor reputation, as well as national shortages."

It is understood that Stafford Hospital has now recruited enough consultants, but is struggling to appoint middle-grade doctors.

Julie Bailey, chairman of Stafford Hospital pressure group Cure The NHS, said: "The decision has been made on patient safety grounds and that must be the priority.

"It's disappointing that the hospital has not recruited the staff, but we believe it's a national problem."