Grantham Hospital dementia ward may shut to trial treatment at home

The 18-bed ward was closed during the pandemic and treatment offered to patients at home

A hospital dementia ward may close for up to 12 months for a temporary trial of care at home to continue.

Grantham and District Hospital plans to shut Manthorpe ward and deploy staff to its home treatment team, a Lincolnshire NHS Foundation Trust report said.

The ward was initially closed to offer care at home during the pandemic and staff said the results were positive.

The hospital said beds would be reserved for patients with complex needs.

The 18-bed unit was initially closed in April 2020 due to pandemic staffing issues, with workers redeployed to Lincoln's Langworth ward, which also specialises in dementia treatment.

Dementia-related hospital admissions have reduced by 46% following the start of the trial, according to the report, which was written for Lincolnshire County Council.

The hospital trust will ask the council to approve plans to expand the trial at a meeting on Wednesday.

The report said: "This 'hospital at home' approach allows the trust to maintain sufficient inpatient capacity for anyone who needs admission despite the reduced bed numbers and causes no additional delay in people being able to access community support.

"Furthermore, the addition of a community-based 'hospital at home' was flagged as a positive development in feedback received from patients, carers and staff and something identified as a previous gap in service."