Senior management at the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have clarified why they believe closing the Bridlington Care Unit on the 1st of June is in the best interests of patients.
Health chiefs at the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are preparing to shutter the Bridlington Care Unit, next month.
Senior management have moved to further clarify why they feel closing the hospital unit at Bridlington is ultimately in the best interests of patients.
The forthcoming closure is being described by health leaders as part of a broader strategy to shift care away from traditional hospital settings and back into the community.
Chief Operating Officer Claire Hanson explained the rationale behind the decision to close the facility:
"This is a managed service change in line with the aim of providing care closer to home, which is in line with the NHS 10-year plan and the hospital to community shift. And means that the Bridlington Care Unit would be able to close with support in a different way of working slightly."
Medical professionals at the trust argue that lengthy patient journeys through acute admissions and into step-down facilities can lead to physical deterioration, known as deconditioning.
They suggest that treating individuals in their own communities earlier in their recovery process will yield better health outcomes and prevent the decline associated with prolonged hospital stays.
Dr Ed Smith said:
"One of the many reasons for advocating this change is because we genuinely believe that the deconditioning that occurs, on the patient journey, from acute admission into the wards and then into services like Bridlington care unit, could be better managed by managing the patient back in the community earlier on in their journey. Now, I'll take the point around, how do we know that the services are up and running and ready to go, I take that. But it is a little bit chicken and egg. We need to reinvest in those services we've invested in historically with units like Bridlington care unit, to be able to take that patient journey forward and make a step-change in managing patients in the community."
The trust acknowledges concerns over whether community services are fully prepared to absorb the increased demand following the closure on June 1st, but insists that reinvesting funds previously tied up in units like Bridlington is necessary to make the required improvements in community care.
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