HEALTH and social services chiefs in York and Selby have put in a bid for £2 million of NHS funds to help them provide intermediate care - which could help solve the "bed-blocking" crisis.
The aim of intermediate care is to provide services which allow people to be discharged from hospital earlier, or to avoid them needing acute hospital care at all.
One of its effects should be to reduce the incidence of "bed-blocking", where usually elderly patients, though fit to leave, have to remain on acute hospital wards - including those at York District Hospital - because there is nowhere else suitable for them to go to.
The Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) and North Yorkshire Health Authority have concluded that an additional 50 intermediate care beds are needed in the York and Selby areas.
A report to City of York Council social services chiefs says that one of the options for providing 30 of those beds would be to refurbish a local authority elderly people's home - with the help of cash from the NHS regional office.
The other option would be to use the money to contribute to a public-private partnership "to fund a new build to provide 30 additional intermediate care beds".
The report, from Kathy Clark, head of commissioning and support services at the council, says: "It is anticipated that refurbishment of a local authority resource is more likely to be affordable than a new build, and so there has been interest within the health community in exploring whether a building could be made available and suitable to provide up to 30 of the 50 beds needed."
Whichever option is chosen, the remaining 20 beds, to meet the 50-bed total, would be provided through the planned redevelopment of Selby War Memorial Hospital.
A £2 million bid has been submitted to the regional office by the council and the PCT, though there will have to be a review of the cost if the scheme is approved in principle.
The council's executive member for social services, Coun Bob Fletcher, will be asked to note and endorse the joint bid for funding when he meets social services director Jim Crook next Monday.
Updated: 11:29 Tuesday, February 05, 2002
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