THE closure of 22 of the county's hospitals is responsible for the recent crisis at Gloucestershire's A&E department, according to campaign group 38 Degrees.
Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General Hospitals declared a 10-day major incident on January 4 due to an influx of patients during the festive period and a lack of beds.
According to 38 Degrees activists, more than half of these delays were caused by beds not being available at acute trust hospitals, community hospitals and nursing or care homes where patients were waiting to be transferred.
An investigation carried out by the group suggests the reason for the lack of beds in the county is a direct result of the closure of 22 hospitals in the area in the last 40 years.
David Perry, of 38 Degrees, said: "Is it any wonder that patients are stuck in the few remaining hospitals?
"NHS authorities repeatedly tell us that bigger hospitals are more efficient, but how can this be true if it results in exit queues at A&E and the whole hospital intake and transfer system seizing up as a result.
"The hospital's trust has avoided challenge from the public by naming wards in the large hospitals after the hospitals they are closing to make out that they have only been 'transferred'.
"At other times, as with Battledown in Cheltenham, they have simply bulldozed through closures ignoring public warnings of the consequences.
"If the political parties talking about integrating the NHS and social care really mean what they say then bring back our small convalescent hospitals and homes."
A joint statement from NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust and Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "It is important to stress that the way healthcare is provided has changed over the years with many more procedures now carried out as day cases and many more services provided in the patient's own home with the support of highly skilled health and social care community teams.
"Substantial investment of nearly £4million has gone in to these community teams this year.
"Some of the specialist hospital services described have been brought together on single sites.
"But we have also seen a huge investment in community hospital services with three new hospitals and a community clinic built and opened in the county since 2011.
"During periods of high demand, such as winter, additional beds can be made available in local hospitals or commissioned from other providers to ensure we meet the needs of patients."
