Last updated at 15:07, Thursday, 29 July 2010

NEW nursing beds are being brought to a community hospital to allow more people who require care to stay closer to home.

NHS Cumbria is providing four new beds at Millom Community Hospital, meaning residents in need of nursing home care can remain in the area.

Patients in need of that care in the Millom area currently have to travel to Barrow or Whitehaven to receive it.

The new nursing care beds will be provided in a specially created unit inside the hospital.

The trust said they are expected to be up and running by the end of the year.

NHS Cumbria said its decision to reduce the number of medical beds in the Lapstone Road community hospital from 14 to nine in January has helped to free up space for nursing care provision, usually required by people unable to look after themselves due to a physical healthcare need as a result of an accident or an illness, such as a stroke.

The move was part of the trust’s Closer to Home strategy.

Dr Geoff Jolliffe, lead GP for Barrow and Millom, said: “This is a great example of community hospitals being utilised in the best way possible and cements them even further at the heart of community health and social care needs.

“These new nursing care beds will mean people from Millom requiring continuing health nursing care can be repatriated to the town, close to friends and family.

“Millom is in a unique position due to its geography, however, historically, due to its small population, it has never attracted a nursing home provider.

“This has meant that many people requiring nursing home care have had to be placed in Barrow or near Whitehaven, which is a considerable distance, especially for families and friends to have to travel regularly.

“We can only provide this new space due to the fact we’ve integrated services with more community services being able to get out and delivery care in people’s homes rather than admitting them to a hospital bed, when they could be treated safely at home.”

First published at 13:06, Thursday, 29 July 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk