A Bristol hotel is being used by the NHS to care for patients discharged from hospital before they return home.
The four-star Bristol Hotel on Prince Street is being used as a temporary care facility in a bid to free up much-needed hospital beds at Southmead and the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
It comes as the NHS says it is facing significant pressures as the number of people in our city’s hospitals with Covid has risen again.
READ MORE: Bristol woman 'desperate' to save husband whose 'cold' turned out to be much more serious
The new facility, which launched on December 23, is designed to treat patients who are medically well enough to leave hospital but require additional care before they can return home.
It sees live-in staff provide round-the-clock care for patients, who have their own en-suite room facilities and access to communal areas “where appropriate".
The hotel describes itself online as a "luxury" space. The initiative there is said to replicate similar models already running in Devon and Cornwall after the NHS stressed the importance of timely hospital discharge including the use of hotels in December.
Dr Peter Brindle, Medical Director at the NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We don’t want people to be in a hospital bed any longer than they need to be, and the opening of the new care facility is one of the steps we have taken to support people’s ongoing recovery in a more appropriate environment.
“Like every area of the country, we are facing significant service pressures at the moment. This facility is designed to improve flow through our hospitals – supporting people to recover from their hospital stay in a more appropriate setting, and ensuring hospital beds are there for people with acute medical needs. It should also improve ambulance response times.
“As a health and care partnership, we are focussed on making the best use of our resources and providing the right care for people at what is a very challenging time. We will be continuously reviewing the service, including taking on board the experience and feedback of people receiving care there.”
The NHS is working alongside home care company Abicare to deliver the new facility at the hotel, which is described
Anne-Marie Perry, Managing Director of Abicare, said: “The hotel and care partnership model is running successfully in other parts of the country, and we have had excellent feedback from patients and families.
“We provide a caring and therapeutic environment for the people discharged to us – all of whom have low levels of care need, and may require additional rehabilitation or other support before they can return home.
“We are looking forward to welcoming people to the Bristol service for their ongoing recovery.”
It comes as the number of people in the region’s hospitals with Covid reaches its highest level since last February.
The latest hospital figures show a total of 921 people were in hospitals with Covid across the South West yesterday (Tuesday, January 11.)
Get the best stories about the things you love most curated by us and delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you love here
