NHS Hampshire to consult on the future of cottage hospital

Hampshire Community Health Care currently provides 24 hour registered nursing care at the hospital, in 12 beds including four continuing care beds. However it had given notice that it will withdraw the service due to a difficulty in recruiting permanent staff which in turn has led to high agency staff usage and a
consistent overspend on staffing costs.

The service was due to finish on March 31 but NHS Hampshire has agreed funding until the end of July. The hospital is owned by a trust set up by the local community in the 1990s when the hospital was previously threatened with closure.

The Hart Locality Stakeholder Group which comprises hospital trustees, parish, district and county councillors, representatives from the League of Friends, local GPs, and officers from NHS Hampshire, Hampshire Community Health Care and the practice based commissioning group, has come up with five options which go out to public consultation after the local elections.

The options are:

• Inpatient bed based model providing 24 hour nursing care and rehabilitation.
• Re-ablement facility.
• Home based care from Community Matrons, community nursing teams, ‘Virtual’ Wards.
• Integrated care with Social Care and Voluntary Sector.
• Outpatient/clinic based care.

The consultation was originally due to begin in the week commencing 15 April but has been delayed due to purdah.