Update: September 2025; this page last updated 29/10/2025
Summary
These proposals are to increase our ability to support more people with physical rehabilitation needs in their own home, preventing the need for a further, unnecessary hospital stay (in some cases far from home) and in line with evidence and best practice.
The demand for home-based rehabilitation outstrips capacity, whereas the capacity for hospital-based rehabilitation exceeds demand. Our proposals will therefore be achieved by shifting some resources from community hospital inpatient wards to strengthen our hospital at home (community) services.
Hospital-based rehabilitation will continue to be available for people requiring this type of care, with the right capacity to meet demand, following careful monitoring and modelling.
We have incredibly skilled staff working within our inpatient and community services; any changes to these pathways will result in staff moving to different local teams, there are roles for all staff and no redundancies are expected.
The community hospital sites involved in these proposals remain key NHS facilities, they will continue to host NHS services and we are committed to working with local partners to explore how we make the best use of any vacated space to benefit local patients, communities and partners.
We are engaging closely with partners, communities and local people and providing opportunities for people to share their views about these proposals. Ways to share your feedback are provided below.
By re-distributing capacity to best meet the differing demand for hospital- and home-based rehabilitation, the proposals will further strengthen our community support offer, increasing the number of people receiving support at home whilst having the right number of physical beds available for patients who absolutely require hospital-based care.
These proposals will help deliver the 10 Year Plan and Trust Strategic priorities, to help people receive care in the right place and at the right time. These proposals are to further enable; the ‘left shift’ from hospital to community, improved recovery outcomes for the population by promoting independence, and best use of available resources.
Positive experiences: From hospital to community
The benefits of home-based care are wide ranging and are known to include: Comfort and familiarity; lower risk of infections; personalized care; greater independence and control; mental and emotional wellbeing; and cost-effectiveness.
National policy and best practice promote this ‘Home First’ approach, to support people to live independently. Evidence tells us converting bedded capacity into home-based capacity is more beneficial for a person’s recovery (physically and cognitively). Prolonged hospital stays and repeated transfers between inpatient settings are associated with poorer health outcomes. Investing in high-quality, joined-up care for people with frailty in their own homes and local communities improves their health outcomes. Further to that, it also reduces demand on services, increases system resilience and delivers economic and societal benefits.
The vast majority of our rehabilitation and reablement is delivered in the community. Rehabilitation at home allows a clearer focus on practical, real-life goals and it is recognised nationally that older people value autonomy and independence above all else when receiving rehabilitation (British Geriatrics Society 2023). Economic modelling by NICE considers home care reablement has a high probability of being cost saving and recommends it is offered as a first option.
Feedback from a patient's relative:
"I want to extend my deepest thanks for the outstanding support you gave my father during an incredibly challenging period. After a few admissions to the QA, we truly feared we might lose him. The final discharge was particularly overwhelming—he was still very unwell, and I found myself suddenly shouldering the responsibilities of caregiving: ensuring his safety at home, managing his meals and medications. It took a tremendous toll especially as I continued with my day job.
When ERS arrived and carried out the assessment, it felt like a huge burden lifted. Your team was compassionate, professional, and understanding. I vividly recall almost laughing when I was told my father would eventually regain enough independence to care for himself-because at that moment, it felt impossible. Yet, thanks to your support, that hope became reality.
Today, I saw him zipping around the neighbourhood on his mobility scooter, out seeing friends or heading to bridge club. For all of us—it was nothing short of a miracle. The service you and your team provided him has been nothing less than life changing. I am profoundly grateful.
Feedback from a patient's son and daughter:
“Our 95-year-old father was discharged from the Summerlee Rehabilitation Centre on 15 July 2025. This was preceded by an a eight-week stay at QA Hospital. As a family we were understandably concerned about Dad's discharge home, particularly as Mum had a stroke just before Dad was admitted into hospital and she was his main carer before the stroke.
"However, the professionalism, kindness and support of the Community Rehabilitation Team, two of which arrived on the day of discharge to settle Dad in and provide aid to help us care for him, the rest of which have provided outstanding care up until this week has been both reassuring and astounding. Every member of the team was amazing, but we would particularly like to thank -Teresa (who led the care), Marcelle (who provided occupational support and equipment) and Olivia (who provided physiotherapy support).
"These three wonderful professionals have helped Dad to adjust to his home surroundings and the 'new normal', they have also provided reassurance, humour and immense kindness to Mum and the wider family. We don't know how we would have managed without them.”
In all proposals, beds will remain in respective facilities for people requiring inpatient rehabilitation care. The proposals are being made in the context of other, complementary initiatives to develop and enhance home and neighbourhood-based care. Engagement has taken place and is ongoing with our system partners to develop and gather support for the proposals.
The proposals
Alton Community Hospital currently operates 40 inpatient rehabilitation beds across two wards, including Inwood Ward, which was opened as a temporary measure during the COVID-19 response and has not been permanently commissioned by the Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Following a detailed review of activity and patient pathways, we know that the current number of beds at Alton is higher than what is needed to meet local demand. Many patients admitted for rehabilitation no longer require hospital-level care and could be more appropriately supported at home or in community settings.
Proposals to bring all inpatient rehabilitation beds together on a single 30-bed ward at Alton have been approved by Hampshire County Council's Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee (HASC). These plans include strengthening seven-day medical and therapy staffing to improve safety, quality and patient outcomes, while ensuring rehabilitation beds remain available for everyone who needs them.
These changes are designed to ensure beds are used more effectively, patients benefit from more consistent care and NHS resources are used in the most efficient way possible.
Continuing the transition to neighbourhood healthcare
These improvements are part of wider developments to support the shift from hospital-based care to neighbourhood and community-based services.
There is increased investment into Urgent Community Response and Virtual Ward teams and adoption of digital enablers to support people with complex needs at home. An Advanced Assessment Team has been piloted, resulting in earlier discharge from Hampshire Hospitals direct home.
Work is also underway to enhance and expand community services delivered from the Alton site. This includes newly refurbished spaces for our Community Clinic and Podiatry teams and the return of District Nursing services to the hospital. Further opportunities include exploring the site's potential to support a future health and wellbeing hub - aligned with our vision for care that is proactive, personalised and closer to where people live.
The PSEH Division currently has 138 physical health beds based across Portsmouth, Gosport, and Petersfield, higher than any other area in Hampshire. The Division also operates 155 hospital at home beds, giving a total of 293 beds. Whilst acknowledging inpatient bedded rehabilitation is valuable and will always be required for some patients, data tells us that often we find patients requiring a short-term bed upon leaving hospital or are requiring bedded rehabilitation stays for very short periods of time.
This indicates that they are more likely to have benefitted from a pathway direct home. The PSEH division benefits from health and social care integrated community teams who provide a specific pathway directly home for patients following an inpatient stay. Evidence supports multiple transfers to inpatient units for patients with frailty is not beneficial and a ‘home-first’ approach is deemed best practice nationally as recommended by NHS England.
Our proposal recommends the reallocation of some resource from inpatient capacity to community-based care to increase home based rehabilitation. This will see an increase in hospital at home beds from 155 to 195, with a corresponding reduction of 40 inpatient beds across PSEH.
The proposal recommends reducing bedded capacity across two sites; Summerlee Unit (located in Portsmouth) by 20 beds, and Rowan Ward at Petersfield Hospital by 20 beds, as the demand data and population demographics support a more home-based focus for these local communities. The total combined number of rehabilitation beds (inpatient and hospital at home) will be maintained at 293 beds. We will also increase support worker capacity so care hours can be increased and flexed based on patient need, bolstering what’s already offered by local authority partners.
Information resources
Monitoring these plans
Plans are in place to ensure the impact of any changes can be monitored and reported, via Transfer of Care Hubs and all appropriate forums. This will include impact on patient flow and how patients are being managed, as well as data and feedback about patient and staff experience.
Engagement ongoing
The focus now is on carrying out further engagement on these proposals with relevant local groups, staff and partners.
Next public engagement sessions:
- Date: Thursday 13 November
- Time: 2-3.30pm (exact running order to be confirmed but will include a presentation and then a Q&A segment).
- Location: Landport Community Centre, Charles Street, Portsmouth, PO1 1JD
This event will focus on the Summerlee Unit element of the current proposals.
Click here to register your attendance.
- Date: Friday 5 December
- Time: 9.30am- 12 noon (this is a drop-in session - members of the public are welcome to attend at any time during the event to ask questions, speak to staff and find out more about the plans).
- Location: Alton Community Hospital, Chawton Park Road, Alton GU34 1RJ
This event will be specifically about the Alton Community Hospital plans.
Share your views
To share your feedback on these proposals, or if you have any questions, please contact us by emailing hiowh.hello@nhs.net with the subject heading ‘Home-based rehab proposals’ or complete this short online form with your views.
The poster we are also using to gather feedback. You can scan the QR code and head to the short online form that way too:
