Care unit scheme scrapped in favour of private service

Darlington Primary Care Trust had planned to build a 15-bed intermediate care unit in Hundens Lane, for people who were fit to be discharged from hospital but needed assessment before returning home.

However, the trust's board heard that when details of the £750,000 scheme were worked out, it was discovered the trust could get twice as much for its money with an alternative approach.

It now plans to commission the beds from the private sector.

The money saved will be ploughed into services including providing extra community care.

There will also be money left to redevelop the Hundens Lane Day Unit and provide clinical teams of nurses, therapists, pharmacists, health and social intermediate care workers and an occupational therapy team.

Resources would also be devoted to services to keep residents in their own homes including urgent response assessment, intensive intermediate care and overnight sitting services.

Trust chief executive Colin Morris said: "The new proposals represent much better value for money.

"Buying into the private sector will allow us to provide a whole range of community support services."

Non-executive director Marion Pickersgill said: "This is a much better use of a considerable sum of capital while Hundens Lane will provide a better focus for the whole of the service."

The scheme is part of the trust's ambitious plans to reach the top of national health ratings.

It wants to move from being a two to a three-star trust under a system which Mr Morris said was the only way people could judge its performance.

He said he was delighted the trust had achieved its nine key targets.

"Where it had fallen down were issues such as the delayed discharges of patients from hospital and some of the premises related issues.

"We have to be careful that we don't just focus on the areas that need improving, but that we maintain the areas where we have performed well," he said.