Coronavirus: Care home used to treat recovering patients

The home's five residents have been moved to Benkhill Lodge in Bedale

Residents have been moved out of their care home so it can be used to treat patients recovering from coronavirus.

Thirty beds have been made available at Springfield Garth in Boroughbridge.

North Yorkshire County Council, which runs the home, said families had been consulted and its five residents had been moved to another home.

The home is now operating as a "step-up" facility with people being admitted there from hospital while community support is arranged.

It is the first care home in North Yorkshire to be used in such a way, as part of the government's goal to free up 30,000 beds nationally to support the NHS, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

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The council said one of the reasons Springfield Garth was chosen was because of its central location to hospitals in York, Ripon and Harrogate - including the NHS Nightingale, which opened at the Harrogate Convention Centre on Tuesday.

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The home was given a deep clean and additional staff were brought in once the residents were moved out, the council added.

A spokesperson said work was also under way to make more beds available at other venues.

The authority has also launched a fast-tracked recruitment campaign to boost its care worker numbers.