Two wards have been closed at Worthing Hospital because of a critical shortage of nurses.

There are nearly 60 vacancies for qualified nurses and more than 30 nursing assistant posts still waiting to be filled.

Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust has had to take the drastic step of closing 12 beds while it takes urgent action to improve the situation.

Tactics being considered include recruiting staff from overseas if the situation does not improve before the start of the traditionally busy winter months.

Other measures include introducing an improved pay structure for nurses in the trust's nursing bank, where part-time staff able to work flexible hours are placed and called on if needed. The rates would be comparable with those offered by agency staff.

There are also proposals to increase the availability of ward clerks, set up a ward assistant project which would give help to qualified staff and expand creche places and opening hours.

If the trust had its full complement of nursing staff it would employ about 1,400 people and the shortage has made it increasingly difficult for staff to cope with demand.

Today's news is a blow to the hospital, which earlier this year launched a nursing recruitment campaign after becoming increasingly reliant on using more expensive agency nurses.

It was hoped offering more flexible hours and a shift system would encourage nurses who had left the profession to return on a part-time basis.

Matron Rosemary Cranna said: "Our priority is to offer the best care possible to patients and to support our staff. The closure of beds is regrettable but even the nurse agencies have not been able to fill gaps.

"We are monitoring the situation daily and will re-open just as soon as we can increase staff levels."

Trevor Davies, chief officer of patient watchdog group Worthing and District Community Health Council, said he was disappointed at the news.

He said: "We have been monitoring the situation over the last few months and it had seemed things were starting to improve with nursing staff on the way back into the profession.

"It is very disappointing but we are hoping that this is only a temporary blip and things will get back on track as quickly as possible."

The CHC is planning to carry out a survey towards the end of the year when it will be looking at what people think of the care they receive while in hospital so they can generate some feedback.

The latest developments are expected to put an added strain on the trust's budget after it ended the last financial year more than £4 million in the red.

The trust had hoped it would end the year by going £3.8 million over budget but it spent £300,000 more than expected over Christmas and the New Year when it had to cope with the flu crisis.