Suffolk and Norfolk healthcare services saved

A decision about All Hallows Hospital is yet to be made

Healthcare services provided by a trust that is set to close after almost 150 years have been saved.

NorseCare will take over All Hallows Nursing Home while Nightingale Homecare will take on All Hallows' homecare services.

All Hallows Healthcare Trust, which cares for more than 250 people a day from sites in Suffolk and Norfolk, said there would be "no disruption in care".

Waveney's Conservative MP Peter Aldous said it was "welcome news".

A decision has yet to be made on the future of the trust's community hospital in Ditchingham, Norfolk.

Discussions about transferring day care services and meals-on-wheels to another provider were continuing, the private trust said.

All Hallows Hospital, pictured here in 1892, was founded by Lavinia Crosse

All Hallows has 280 staff and runs a 30-bed hospital, a 50-bed nursing home, at-home care services and daycare at the hospital.

The services it provides are in Bungay and Lowestoft, Suffolk, and in Ditchingham.

Its history dates to 1872, when Lavinia Crosse - known as Mother Lavinia - set up a hospital in a cottage in Ditchingham.

John Chapman, chairman of the All Hallows trustees, said he was pleased there would be "continuity of care for 90% of the people All Hallows currently cares for".

He said they were "continuing to seek this for all".

This picture from around 1960 shows patients receiving care at All Hallows

Both NorseCare and Nightingale Homecare are based in Norfolk.

Mr Aldous said: "It is welcome news for service users that providers with a proven track record have been selected to continue to operate the All Hallows Nursing Home and to provide home care services.

"Hopefully similar arrangements will be confirmed very shortly for day care services and meals-on-wheels."

He said it was important for the hospital service to continue to be available to residents in Bungay and the surrounding area.

The trust previously said financial difficulties were behind the decision, which had been made "with enormous sadness".