Changes to community and hospital services this winter

As part of the NHS’s winter preparations, senior clinicians and partners across the health and care system have developed plans to make the best use of healthcare facilities and resources this winter.

We have made changes to

• increase and reconfigure inpatient community rehabilitation beds that support people who need short-term bed-based rehabilitation services after a spell in hospital. This included stroke and more generalised rehabilitation beds.
• relocated the birthing unit run from St Peter’s Hospital in Maldon – which sees an average of six births a month – to the William Julien Courtauld Birthing Unit (WJC) in Braintree.

Increasing and reconfiguring inpatient rehabilitation community beds

Inpatient community beds are used to support people who are not yet well enough to go home and to care for people who need additional rehabilitation, including those who need support following a stroke.

These services need to meet the changing needs of our residents and ensure they receive the right support at the right time and in the safest place for them.

The changes will see an overall increase in the number of beds used for stroke rehabilitation meaning hospital beds will be freed up for patients who need urgent care.

Sustaining a safe and high-quality service is no longer possible at St Peter’s due to the condition of the building. It has deteriorated in recent years and is no longer the best place to deliver inpatient care. Bayman Ward at Brentwood Community Hospital will therefore provide 25 beds for stroke rehabilitation in modern, high-quality accommodation replacing the 16 beds at St Peter’s.

Outpatient services such as diagnostics and screening will still be provided from St Peter’s for the local population in Maldon.

Relocating midwife-led births

Maternity outpatient appointments will continue at St Peter’s in Maldon, but people wanting to give birth in a midwifery-led unit will use the Willian Julien Courtauld (WJC) birthing unit in Braintree or Broomfield Hospital instead.

Midwives will continue to support families to choose the best place to deliver their babies.

Deborah Goldsmith, Director of Midwifery at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We want to provide families with the best experience when they are having their babies, and the modern, purpose-built facilities in Braintree will allow us to do exactly that. Unfortunately, we had to regularly close the facilities at St Peter’s, but using the birthing suite at WJC means we will be able to offer a safer and more reliable service.”

Local staff will be front and centre of transition plans to ensure all patients’ needs are met.

The changes are scheduled to take place in the autumn of 2023 in preparation for the winter when demand for care is expected to increase and the NHS will be under the most pressure.

Dr Matt Sweeting, Interim Medical Director at Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board and a Consultant Geriatrician, said: “We owe it to patients and the public to get this right. This plan comes as part of comprehensive and collaborative efforts to improve healthcare facilities and resources this winter. The changes offer several advantages, including being able to accommodate a larger number of patients and ensuring that they get the care they need in the right place, at the right time.

“Our main aim is to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients in high-quality facilities.”