Intermediate Care Services in Barnsley – update
Intermediate care is a nurse and therapy-led service that acts as a bridge between hospital care and independent living.
Intermediate care is commissioned by Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and is being delivered by an alliance arrangement between Barnsley CCG, Barnsley Hospital, South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust, Barnsley Healthcare Foundation and Barnsley Council.
As an interim measure, the majority of intermediate care nursing and therapy staff from Mount Vernon Hospital will be moving to Barnsley Hospital to provide this service on Wards 35 and 36. For the time being all of these staff will continue to be employed by South West Yorkshire Partnership Trust.
This is not a permanent move for all, however, as the service is moving towards a model where there will be transition beds based at Barnsley Hospital – a ‘halfway home’ for patients – and beds in care homes, and patients’ own homes, supported by area nursing and therapy teams.
This is part of the wider intermediate care service remodel which will coordinate around individuals and target care to their specific needs closer to home. Between 2014 and 2016, Barnsley CCG sought feedback from a mixed audience of staff, service users, carers and partner organisations. Members of the public and healthcare professionals told Barnsley CCG that intermediate care services need to be co-ordinated, flexible and with staff who have the right skills and experience to ‘see and treat’ patients.
The alliance management team said: “The Intermediate Care Service needed to be delivered differently to accommodate the needs of an ageing population within the current challenging financial climate. All partners are working together in Barnsley to deliver the new model.
“During this year we’ve looked at how we can organise services differently, we spoke to other NHS Trusts and learnt good practice from other areas, making sure services are safe and of high quality now and in the future. As an alliance we will be providing the right care at the right time in the right place.”
