Coronavirus: Devon care hotel opens to help ease hospital pressure

The facility is at the Hearts Together Hospital Hotel near Derriford Hospital in Plymouth

A new facility has opened in Plymouth for people needing extra care before they return home from hospital during the pandemic.

The care hotel, which opened on Monday, aims to ease pressures on the city's Derriford Hospital.

It is being run by Plymouth City Council and health provider, Livewell Southwest.

A similar set-up was used during the first lockdown last April.

The Hearts Together Hospital Hotel, which normally provides accommodation for patients, carers, relatives and healthcare workers, is being used for the care facility.

Geoff Baines, director of safety and quality at Livewell Southwest, said the service was proud to work with the council to "ensure we can support people during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic".

He added the hotel will help "to relieve some of the pressure on our hospitals by providing somewhere safe for people to move to from hospital when they are well enough but when they are not quite ready to go home without support".