Northampton centre to take patients to free up hospital beds
- Published
David Neale, 93, is one of the patients at the Turn Furlong centre in Northampton
A rehabilitation centre designed to free up hospital beds which was set up as a pilot scheme is to remain throughout the year.
The 51-bed unit at Turn Furlong in Northampton provides short-term care for people who are not quite ready to return home after a hospital stay.
It is run jointly by the NHS and West Northamptonshire Council.
Matt Golby from West Northamptonshire Council said it would help alleviate "pressure on the system".
Matt Golby said the centre was an example of the NHS working closer with the council to help the local hospitals
The residential unit accepts patients from hospitals or those that might need extra support from the community.
Patients are cared for by health and social care staff employed by both Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust and the council.
The centre has had 204 admissions between its opening in November 2022 and the end of May.
The foundation trust said 61% of those patients were later discharged to their usual place of residence.
The residents of Turn Furlong have social activities alongside their medical care
Mr Golby, the cabinet member for adult care, wellbeing and health integration at the Conservative-led authority, said it would give patients "the best treatment before they are allowed back home to live as independent as they can".
"We know every winter hospitals get really under an awful lot of pressure to relieve beds to for people coming in," he said.
He said the centre "was one of the first of its type in the whole of England".
"This is this is a bit of a trailblazer," Mr Golby added.
Dawn Watts, manager at Turn Furlong, said the facility was closer to home environment for patients
The centre offers rehabilitation, physiotherapy and medical care, as well as social activities and sessions involving things such as cookery and gardening.
Manager Dawn Watts said it was "providing the right care for everyone here to meet everyone's needs".
Astrid Cutler said the centre had helped her recover out of hospital
Astrid Cutler is one of the patients recovering from a stay in hospital at Turn Furlong.
The 86-year-old: "I had a bad infection in my leg, which caused me to fall over and I was taken to [Northampton] General Hospital.
She was in hospital for a month, when she "had a bad episode and they found two ulcers in my stomach, which I didn't know I'd got".
She was transferred to Turn Furlong three weeks ago and said she "couldn't walk, couldn't do anything".
"But now I can walk, I can get to the toilet, I can wash myself, dressed myself, get into bed, out of bed, it's pretty remarkable," she said.
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