Hotel takes patients to help out hospital
A Bath hotel is to help relieve pressure on the Royal United Hospital by taking in patients who no longer need urgent care.
Abicare will have agency staff at the business - which the NHS has not named to protect patient confidentiality - to provide 24/7 support for up to 17 individuals.
Another 18-bed temporary ward has opened at St Martin’s Hospital in Bath to provide beds for patients who need a few extra days of therapeutic or nursing support or who are waiting to receive a care package or reablement assistance before they can return home.
Dr Brynn Bird told councillors the facilities had been set up at “unprecedented” speed, while ensuring the medical cover is safe and proportionately fair to all partners.
“Next winter I’m sure we’ll have to look at the planning and the learning that’s been done in this care hotel and see if it can be used or redeployed effectively,” he said.
RUH Trust chief executive Cara Charles-barks said: “We really don’t want patients who are well enough to leave hospital to stay with us for any longer than they need to.
“Opening the new ward and the care hotel are positive steps to support people’s ongoing recovery in a more appropriate environment and ensure hospital beds are there for people with acute medical needs.”
The initiatives have been put in place by the RUH, HCRG Care, the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Wiltshire Health and Care and other partners to tackle the current high demand for hospital beds across the area.
RUH Trust chief operating officer Simon Sethi said: “Opening the ward at St Martin’s Hospital is a great development, helping the RUH to continue to care for patients needing urgent hospital care and we’re thankful to all our community partners in making it happen.
“There’s a lot more we can do with our partners across health and social care to help patients get home when they no longer need medical care and this is just one step in our joint approach to improve flow and patient experience through the wider health and care system.”
Abicare managing director Anne-marie Perry said the company would provide a caring and therapeutic environment for the people with low levels of care need and may require additional rehabilitation or other support before they can return home.
HCRG Care group provides a range of services from St Martin’s Hospital.
Managing director Val Scrase said: “Opening the ward at St Martin’s has been a real system approach with colleagues from different organisations working closely together to coordinate everything from the necessary building work and equipment, through to the staffing and clinical support.
“Our priority has been to make sure we support our acute trust to move patients to the right environment to meet their health and care needs.
“We will be admitting patients from both Bath and North East Somerset and Wiltshire and working with both local authorities to support discharge.”
There’s a lot more we can do with our partners across health and social care to help patients get home when they no longer need medical care. RUH Trust chief operating officer Simon Sethi