I have now spoken to all the relevant parties and been briefed on why the of inpatient beds at Rothbury Hospital have been closed temporarily for three months.
No other services at the hospital have been or will be affected.
I understand the use of the beds is extremely low – less than 35 per cent capacity – as they are primarily used for convalescence and end of life care, and patients are choosing to receive care in their own homes with community nursing support instead.
I will continue to keep in close contact with both Northumbria NHS Trust and the CCG, but I am also keen to hear from patients and their families about why people are choosing not to use Rothbury for inpatient care. Most people I speak to about this express a preference for receiving care at home which is why the beds are underused and resources are being redirected to community care, but I want to know if people value that flexibility in choice of care, and if there are other reasons for not choosing to take up inpatient care at Rothbury.