More community beds in drive for better care

GPs, who have taken on new responsibilities as part of health reforms, are leading the drive for an integrated health and social care facility to meet the growing needs of an ageing population.

East Hull is considered ideal, because it is where the majority of elderly people live, and the area lost services when Princess Royal Hospital closed.

Just under 30 per cent of people in Hull have a long-term illness or a disability. Currently older people make up 14 per cent of the population but the numbers over 65 will go up 42 per cent by 2030.

The services – which could open within two years – will include community beds for rehabilitation or as an alternative to hospital, a gym and specialist clinics. Patients would include those needing rehabilitation after treatment for a stroke, pulmonary, cardiac or orthopaedic problems and those with dementia or who have had falls and need social services and carers’ support.

NHS Hull clinical commissioning group chief officer Emma Latimer said: “It’s about improving patient care, making sure elderly people are cared for in an environment that’s suitable for them. They might be in hospital for a proportion of time but then we need to make sure we can do everything we can to support them living independently.”

It is estimated that around 30 per cent of those who go to the acute assessment unit at Hull Royal Infirmary every day could be seen in an alternative location.

Earlier this year Sir David Nicholson, chairman of the new NHS Commissioning Board, said treatment of patients, particularly those with dementia, had to change.

“If you think about the average general hospital now, something like 40 per cent of the patients will have some form of dementia. They are very bad places for old, frail people. We need to find alternatives.”