A LEADING nurse says more needs to be done to promote “hospital at home” beds as health bosses close stroke and other rehabilitation beds in a Worcester hospital.

Sandra Brennan, director of clinical development and lead executive lead nurse for NHS Worcestershire, said the project to close down beds at the Aconbury unit at Worcestershire Royal Hospital was on course for Monday, August 1.

We previously reported in your Worcester News how the 76 bed Aconbury unit is to be “decommissioned” on the orders of NHS Worcestershire, the organisation which holds the purse strings for county healthcare. The unit was where older people who had suffered falls or strokes received rehabilitation.

Mrs Brennan reassured members of the NHS Worcestershire board that other forms of care would be in place once Aconbury closed when she spoke at a meeting at Pershore Civic Centre.

Plans include 24-hour nursing, residential and rehabilitation services (36 beds) at the Timberdine Resource Centre in Worcester, a hospital at home service of eight beds, 10 step down beds and other community rehabilitation services and intermediate care.

This intermediate care will take the form of 30 “virtual beds” in people’s homes for patients who do not need such intensive care as the “hospital at home beds”. Mrs Brennan admitted more needed to be done to promote the use of “hospital at home” beds.

She said: “We’re not pushing it as hard as we could do to enable more people to get home. It’s about understanding the difference between caring for someone in a hospital surrounding where you’re more in control and in their own home where you can’t set the agenda and environment.

“The beds are not being fully utilised but we are confident more people can go into those beds, could be seen in A&E, have their diagnosis and go home.

“That’s particularly relevant for people with dementia.”

Mrs Brennan said plans involved close working with the clinical leaders at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust which manages the county’s three main hospitals, including Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester.

Mrs Brennan said caring for people at home was not less expensive than caring for people in hospital in the short term but savings could be made in the long term.

She said: “The benefits to the health and social care economy are huge.”

l Your Worcester News reporter was the member of the media at this hearing.