More beds are being made available at Medway Maritime Hospital to meet a time of 'exceptional demand.'

The Sanderson Child Development Centre, is being converted back to a single sex ward for the next six months.

The move will means appointments have had to be rescheduled.

A spokesman for Medway NHS Foundation Trust: “We are currently experiencing exceptional demand for hospital services as a result of the increase in flu and the cold weather.

“It therefore became necessary for the hospital to take action to increase bed capacity for those patients who need to be admitted.

“The area which was the centre, up until last Friday, was previously a ward which means conversion back to its original function does not require major redesign.

"It will become a 21 bedded, single-sex ward.

The arrangement will last for six months, until the new Macmillan Cancer Care unit building is complete.

During this time the children’s centre will be based in A-Block at the Gillingham-based hospital.

Martin Riley, director of provider services for NHS Medway, added: “I would like to apologise to the parents of children who use the Sanderson Child Development Centre for the unavoidable disruption to our services this week.

“We are working very hard to get services back to normal and will reschedule all appointments that have had to be postponed."