New community hospital site now fully open for rehabilitation care
People who need specialist rehabilitation support after a hospital stay can now get the care they require in a new setting - with Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) completing the opening of a community hospital in Rushden.
Spinneyfields Care Centre is now fully up and running in H.E. Bates Way, where up to 51 inpatient beds are available for people who need extra support to get them ready to return home after treatment in an acute hospital.
This includes 19 beds for people experiencing spells of sudden confusion (delirium) plus seven additional beds which are being kept ready for an expected rise in demand for NHS care over the busy winter period, or at any other time. These add to the 25 beds already open for rehabilitation care at the site as part of NHFT's phased move there earlier in the year.
Spinneyfields is one of six community hospitals operated by NHFT around Northamptonshire and increases the Trust's capacity to bring community care closer to where people live across county. NHFT's other community hospitals are in Brackley, Corby, Daventry, Northampton and Wellingborough.
Anne Rackham, Chief Operating Officer at NHFT, said: "Our community hospitals are a really important part of people's recovery journeys, helping them to regain their health, independence and confidence after treatment in an acute hospital for illness or injury.
"Our teams do a fantastic job providing high-quality specialist care in a safe and supportive environment - and growing our community hospital capacity means we can do this for even more people across our communities.
"I'd like to thank everyone behind the scenes who has worked so hard to complete the full opening of our community hospital service at Spinneyfields ahead of the winter, which is always a busy time for the NHS. I'd also like to welcome all our new colleagues who have joined us to bolster the wonderful Spinneyfields team in recent weeks and months."
NHFT's community hospitals provide 24-hour care and support for people who no longer need to be cared for in an acute (general) hospital environment.
People come for a stay in a community hospital stay after being referred by a team of healthcare professionals who have carefully assessed their needs. Usually this is because they are ready to leave the acute hospital but need more time to recover before they are ready to return home.
Most patients will come to community hospitals for rehabilitation. This helps a person achieve the best level of independence and quality of life after their injury or illness.
Managed by a multi-disciplinary team made up of doctors, nurses, therapists, healthcare assistants and other colleagues, community hospitals provide individual care and support that's tailored to the patient's individual needs. Therapy and exercise are an important part of a community hospital stay to help people regain their strength, fitness and confidence to return home.
For more information about NHFT community hospitals visit nhft.nhs.uk/adult-community-beds