Peter Luff MP (Con. Mid-Worcestershire) described the situation at Worcester Hospital as_

"totally unacceptable" 

and blamed Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust for causing the problem by deliberately cutting bed numbers.

He said that_

staff members were " 'under gagging orders and threats of disciplinary action' if they criticized the way the hospital was run !"

"To point these things out is to speak up for the hard-pressed doctors and nurses, and for the patients who use the hospital; not to attack them."

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Earlier, Conservative Leader Iain Duncan-Smith visited the hospital (by appointment).

After seeing things for himself, Mr. Duncan-Smith suggested that Tony Blair should resign for failing to improve health services.