The local NHS has announced a consultation on dementia care in the area relating to the closure of a ward.
The Manthorpe ward in Grantham Hospital was closed by the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as part of lockdown measures in April 2020.
Now the trust is asking whether it should be reopened or continue with what it calls its ‘hospital at home’ care.
An NHS spokesman said: “As the pandemic impacted longer than expected, the trust has been piloting a new hospital at home approach and has spent the last few years evaluating its impact.
“Following significant engagement and evaluation of what impact the dementia home treatment service has had on patient experience and outcomes, the trust has now developed two options for how it could deliver services and wants to consult with people living in Lincolnshire on the future service offer.”
The options are reopen the 18-bed Manthorpe Ward and discontinue the Dementia Home Treatment Team or make that team permanent and close the ward.
The consultation runs until May 23 and is available at www.lpft.nhs.uk/dementia-consultation
Paula Jelly, director of operations for older people and frailty services at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “We’ve seen a really positive impact from the introduction of the dementia home treatment service, and many people who would have previously been admitted into hospital are now able to be cared for in their own homes.
“People have been telling us in our engagement over the last few years that they would prefer their loved ones to be cared for away from hospital as much as possible.
“We also know that going into hospital when someone is living with dementia can have a negative impact on their general health and wellbeing.
“The dementia home treatment service has been able to offer an intensive level of community support not previously available, by visiting someone’s home several times a day and supporting the carer with a range of tools and techniques to manage difficult behaviours and symptoms.
“Hospital care is still available at Langworth ward in Lincoln, should people need it, but what we have found is less and less people have needed to go into hospital as a result of the additional home support.”
