Care home to relieve hospital pressures

Former patients welcomed to Dartmouth home

A second facility has opened in Devon to take patients discharged from hospital to help relieve pressure on the county’s hospitals. 

The Fleet Care Home in Dartmouth was going to open this year with 14 nursing care beds, but it will now open imminently with the potential to increase capacity by an extra 24 beds temporarily for people being discharged from hospital or moving in from home due to ill-health.

Melody Walters, regional manager for Care Concern Group, which own The Fleet, says: “The team has worked tremendously hard to bring the opening of the home forward, they all feel very proud to be helping the local community during these trying times, and are looking forward to providing the new residents with a caring and luxurious environment.”

Separately Devon County Council is also in discussion with a hotel owner in Bideford – named last week as the Durrant House Hotel – about opening up similar accommodation for discharged patients.

Alongside the potential Bideford facility, and the Hilton Hotel at Exeter Airport, which is already taking people discharged from hospital, the three facilities could provide an extra 200 beds, staffed by trained and experienced health and care professionals.

Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for adult social care, said: “These will be for people who do not need to be in acute hospitals, but who require extra care before returning home or until residential or nursing places can be found for them.

“They can also be used by people with care needs who have been living at home, but who can no longer do so – if their carer becomes unwell, for example. We are doing absolutely everything we can to ensure that people in Devon continue to receive the care and support they need.”

Lee Baxter, Associate Director at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust added: “We are working in partnership with all providers to ensure we can deliver the best possible care during the pandemic. As a key part of this we are working closely with Devon County Council to ensure we have facilities and accommodation available to keep NHS beds available for those who may need them at this time. We are very pleased to be working with Fleet as part of this approach.”

The news has been welcomed by local politicians, with Anthony Mangnall, MP for the Totnes constituency, which includes Dartmouth, saying: “Ensuring that Dartmouth is not cut off when it comes to its healthcare provisions has been a top priority and I am pleased with today’s announcement.

“I have been working with Devon County Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group to ensure that residents not only have reassurance when it comes to their healthcare services but that access across rural and urban areas is as comprehensive as possible.

“I will continue to work with local and national groups to maintain these provisions as we tackle COVID-19.”

Cllr Jonathan Hawkins, Devon County Council’s local Member for Dartmouth, added: “I am very pleased that this building is being bought back into use and that it is going to be a nursing home that Dartmouth and the surrounding parishes have been calling for a nursing home for many years so this is very welcome.”

The former care home was going to reopen later in the year to provide nursing care in the local community, but the decision to open it immediately, and with potentially more bed capacity, was escalated by Devon County Council as part of the coronavirus (COVID-19) response.

A spokesman said: “Hospitals are ensuring that only patients who need their specialist care remain in hospital, and that anyone no longer requiring it is discharged safely so that hospitals have more capacity to deal with people who are acutely unwell including coronavirus cases.

“Devon County Council is making sure that there are sufficient places for people to move to out of hospital. Most return home, but some people require more support until they are a bit better. Residential and nursing homes, which might otherwise be an option for them, are also under a lot of pressure to meet demand.

“The Council is working with organisations that have accommodation with a view to these places being used temporarily by people when they can leave hospital.”

This story has been updated to replace wording that suggested the Fleet would be accommodating covid patients. This is not the case, and we apologise for the error. Director Peter Madden says: "The Fleet has worked in conjunction with the Local Authority, CCG and CQC to open the care home ahead of schedule....We will be talking every possible step to reduce to chances of Covid19 entering our home. Are plans are to offer a safe environment for the elderly."