NHS chiefs have dismissed a claim that Minehead Hospital is under threat - but three beds there will be temporarily closed as a result of a safety review. Following a report in another newspaper saying there was a threat to the the hospital's future, Dr Andrew Dayani, the medical director of the Somerset Partnership NHS Trust, tod the Free Press this week there were no current plans to close the hospital. But from Monday next week, the process of reducing bed-space at the purpose-built community hospital from 17 to 14 will begin. He said the reduction was in direct response to guidelines issued by the National Quality Board, coupled with the problem of recruiting staff. He said that countywide the trust was facing a shortfall of some 50 nurses but as a result of the guidelines, an additional 14 would have to recruited on top of that. "It is a question of balancing safety with expectations," said Dr Dayani. "If people see we are not meeting the recommended staffing ratios then it could look like the hospital is failing. "That is not the case but people are not going to want to go into a hospital if they think it doesn't meet the staffing requirements. "By reducing beds temporarily we will be able to ensure we meet those guidelines." He said a recent audit had shown that Minehead Hospital did not run at full capacity and he was confident the reduction in bed space could be managed. "It's about optimising the length of a patient's stay and giving the staff time to listen to their care needs," he said. "We're expecting a greater throughput of patients, but a shorter length of stay. "We have spoken to local GPs and advised them about our plans." Dr Dayani said the situation would be kept under review but would also be impacted by the conclusion of a report currently being drafted by the Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group into the delivery of services across the county. That review is due to be completed in the autumn. But Dr Dayani stressed: "We, as a trust, have absolutely no plans to close Minehead Hospital. "It is a new hospital and the discussions we are having now with the clinical commissioning group are not about closing the hospital, they're about changing our practices. "We want to show that services can be delivered in the community for the benefit of the community." Dr Dayani said patients were unlikely to notice the loss of the bed spaces.