A city hotel is set to help relieve pressure on the Royal United Hospital by taking in patients who no longer need urgent care. 

Abicare will have agency staff at the business – which the NHS has not named to protect patient confidentiality – to provide 24/7 support for up to 17 individuals. Another temporary ward has opened at St Martin’s Hospital to provide beds for patients who need a few extra days of therapeutic or nursing support or who are waiting to receive a care package or reablement assistance before they can return home.

Dr Brynn Bird told Councillors last week the facilities had been set up at “unprecedented” speed, while ensuring the medical cover is safe and proportionately fair to all partners.  “Next winter I’m sure we’ll have to look at the planning and the learning that’s been done in this care hotel and see if it can be used or redeployed effectively,” he said.   Stephen Sumner, LDRS