Number of Beds in New Care at Townlands Confirmed

Artist’s Impression of new care home

The Clinical Commission Group have now negotiated with the Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT) to provide beds to support the new Rapid Access Care Unit (RACU) at Townlands and to provide step down care for patients discharged from an acute hospital.

Following the CCG board meeting in July 2015 when proposals for Townlands were first discussed, further due diligence was undertaken to assess the number of beds required to support the new model of care at Townlands. This confirmed the anticipated need for between five and eight beds to support the RACU and to provide step down care.

When the CCG board met in September 2015, it was proposed that, to allow time for the new model of care to establish itself, there should an option to purchase up to six additional beds, on a flexible basis from the OSJCT. The board was made aware that, although this was the CCG’s stated and agreed intention, the final number of beds to be purchased was subject to negotiation with OSJCT.

David Smith, CEO of the CCG said, “We have now agreed with the OSJCT to purchase a total of 11 beds in the new care home on the Townlands site, to be used flexibly. We have also committed to a three year contract for these 11 beds.”

Oxfordshire County Council has also commissioned one bed for patients needing respite care which will be co-located with the 11 beds bought by the CCG. Respite care enables carers to take a break from looking after a loved one so they can look after their own health and wellbeing.

“At Monday’s meeting of the Townlands Stakeholder Reference Group (7  March), it was reported we had intended to use seven beds, in line with the board commitment to purchase between five and eight beds. Having listened to the views of reference group members, we will now use the upper limit of eight as our starting point,” added David Smith.

During times when more than eight beds are needed, the CCG will have the ability to access the remaining three beds in the same unit on the ground floor of the care home. These beds will otherwise be used for patients who require a continuing healthcare (CHC) assessment. Continuing healthcare is arranged and funded solely by the NHS for people who are not in hospital and have been assessed as having health needs that require substantial support. These beds will provide appropriate rehabilitation and support as well as enable a multidisciplinary team to carry out a full assessment of their CHC needs.

In negotiations with any service provider, the CCG has a responsibility to ensure value for money. In this instance, we cannot make a contractual commitment to commission, up-front, beds that may not be used.

If demand rises to the point where 14 beds are required, the CCG has the ability to buy further beds by using Oxfordshire’s well-established spot purchase system. This system allows them to access beds from those providers who have beds available at the time they are needed, without having to pre-commit funds. “Our priority will be to purchase a bed within the OSJCT care home wherever possible. However, if a suitable bed was not available we would purchase a bed from the provider next nearest to the patient’s home,” said David Smith.

Councillor Ian Reissmann, Chair of the Townlands Steering Group (TSG), said, “The announcement from the CCG is mixed news. We are pleased that there will be 12 leased beds in the Order of St John Care home at the the start. The addition of the respite care bed is a welcome surprise.”

“However we had always understood that the extra spot purchased beds would be on the Townlands site. The TSG have been increasingly concerned at the way we are being kept up to date by the CCG. The lack of proper engagement which we were promised by the CCG, means that community expectations and confidence are low. We would like to work with the CCG in partnership to improve communication.”