The Royal United Hospital is taking on five new emergency doctors after admissions rose in what has been its 'worst winter ever.'
Chief operating officer Francesca Thompson gave an update on the hospital's status at a meeting of the Bath and North East Somerset Council wellbeing policy development and scrutiny panel.
She said the hospital coped well for most of the year, but that this winter had been particularly bad.
Mrs Thompson said: "This has been the worst winter we have ever experienced.
"The emergency department could not cope with the high levels of admissions.
"At one point we had to cancel all non-urgent surgery, and there was a lack of beds."
In March the hospital received a critical report from health watchdog the Care Quality Commission.
An inspection team found that the hospital had been using a day care unit to accommodate inpatients, and expressed concern about patients transferred to nursing homes without enough information about their care and treatment needs being passed on.
As a result of this report the quango Monitor has delayed authorising the hospital's foundation trust application, until the CQC's concerns have been addressed and inspectors have revisited the RUH.
Mrs Thompson said the inspection had been carried out when the whole local healthcare system had been extremely busy and there was a shortage of beds in all acute hospitals and in care homes.
She said they were taking steps to improve the areas highlighted and were employing five new consultants for rapid assessment in the emergency department.
The hospital will also look at improving rehabilitation, safe and timely discharge, and reducing the length of stay.
Vice chair of the panel Councillor Katie Hall (Lib Dem, Lyncombe) said work needed to be done to make sure the same scenario was not repeated.
She said: "I think it needs to be stepped up quite a lot otherwise we'll get into the same situation at the end of next winter.
"What happens is in the winter you get far more admissions and that grows rapidly, and this winter was particularly bad."
