Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust colleagues have been speaking with local people across the Petersfield area to hear their views on proposals to improve rehabilitation care by offering more support at home, where it is safe and suitable.
The aim is to help more people recover in the comfort of their own homes, avoid unnecessary hospital stays and regain independence with the right care in place. This approach is in line with national NHS priorities and supports the NHS 10 Year Health Plan to provide more personalised care closer to home. Evidence shows that converting bedded capacity into home-based capacity is more beneficial for a person’s recovery (physically and cognitively).
Over the past few weeks, Trust staff have hosted drop-in sessions, joined community meetings and listened to feedback from residents and local organisations in in-person and virtual settings across Petersfield and the wider area regarding Rowan Ward at Petersfield Hospital and Summerlee Unit within Harry Sotnick House in Portsmouth. This engagement work has run alongside a staff consultation and is part of a wider process to hear how future care delivery could be best shaped.
Dr Mark Kelsey, a Hampshire GP and Chief Medical Officer for Physical Health at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As a local GP, I often see patients who could recover more effectively at home if the right support is in place, and that there is a desire by a number of them to return home as soon as medically possible too. These proposals would enable us to deliver high quality care that’s tailored to people’s clinical needs and personal preferences, not constrained or determined by the availability of a hospital bed. Staff will be redeployed into people’s homes whilst we will still have inpatient beds on wards for those who need them.
“Expanding home-based rehabilitation also helps free up bed space in acute hospitals, seeing people discharged in a clear, timely and streamlined way, and contributes to supporting the local healthcare system move more smoothly. We are confident that the proposals will result in a better patient experience, maximum recovery outcomes long term, and use of NHS funding and value for money.
“Thank you to everyone who has engaged with us on these proposals whether in person, online or in writing. We really value people’s insights – themes have been identified and are helping to inform the Trust’s work on shaping these plans. The majority of people we have spoken to during this engagement period have been supportive of the proposals and understood the reasons behind them.”
People still have the opportunity to share their thoughts – all feedback routes are highlighted on this webpage along with other important information and resources: Increasing home-based rehabilitation :: Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust
Key points within the current proposal:
- Petersfield Hospital will stay open and fully operational.
- There is no reduction in the number of overall rehabilitation beds in the Trust’s Portsmouth and South East Hants division.
- Rehabilitation beds will continue to be available for anyone who needs them.
- Rowan Ward would be re-provided as a clinical space – exact details dependent on approval of the proposals.
The Trust intends to take these proposals to the relevant Health Overview and Scrutiny Panels by the end of November 2025. No formal changes to services will be made until that discussion has taken place and formal decision-making has taken place by commissioners, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB). At that point, if approved, a timeline of implementation would be agreed and shared.