Health and care decision-makers should explore the feasibility of re-opening a North Norfolk centre which prepares people to return home after time in hospital, according to a new report.
Healthwatch Norfolk, which gathers the views of people in the county about their health and care, was asked to gather feedback about the future of one of the buildings at Benjamin Court in Cromer.
In the past, the building has housed a range of services including reablement, rehabilitation and palliative care services.
It was later closed as more care was offered in the home.
NHS Norfolk and Waveney asked Healthwatch Norfolk to find out what people thought the building could now be used for.
It carried out:
Face-to-face engagement at several sites around North Norfolk.
Offered people the chance to have their say by phone or online.
Recorded people’s views at a public meeting about the building’s future which was held in Cromer.
The idea was to discover what people’s ideas were, so these could be investigated further, subject to the ideas being able to secure funding and be staffed.
Findings and responses
A total of 295 responses were received, most of them from the Cromer and Sheringham area.
The most popular suggestion was the reinstatement of Benjamin Court as a re-ablement (or rehabilitation/convalescence) centre, with 79 per cent (232 people) giving this response.
A total of 21 per cent of respondents (63 people) suggested other ideas relating to health and care including palliative care, respite facilities, specialist clinics, community projects, and a Day Centre.
Some also suggested re-purposing the building to offer either housing for keyworkers in health and care, or for assisted living/sheltered housing flats.
All the responses were analysed and Healthwatch Norfolk compiled a report which you can download at https://healthwatchnorfolk.co.uk/reports/ideas-for-the-future-of-benjamin-court/
It is making three recommendations. These are:
- An investigation into the feasibility of bringing back the re-enablement service to Benjamin Court. There was such overwhelming support for this within the feedback responses that this must be recommended to represent the views of people living in the area.
- Explore avenues for offering any other services relating to health and care for North Norfolk residents at Benjamin Court.
- Ensure there is clear communication around whatever happens to the site for those living and working in North Norfolk.
Alex Stewart, chief executive of Healthwatch Norfolk, said:
“Our role is to communicate the views of people in the county and their overwhelming request was for Benjamin Court to be reopened, and we would want this option to be explored.
“The consensus among everybody who shared their views with us is that the building should be used for the benefit and support of the community whatever its final use, and several interesting ideas were suggested which we would also urge health bosses to explore.
“As with many things, communication is key and people also felt they had not been kept informed about what is going on, and we would also ask for this to be addressed so that the local population can feel involved and engaged in whatever happens next with Benjamin Court.”
In a formal response to the report, Tracey Bleakley, chief executive of the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, said:
“I would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their views about the future of Benjamin Court. We spent time talking with the local community because we wanted to find a solution that would mean the building could continue to be used to support the health and wellbeing of north Norfolk residents.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to find a solution that fits with the other services already available and the model of care we want to provide, or which is financially viable. As a result, we will return the site to NHS Property Services, which will enable them to look for alternative tenants.
“In line with the recommendations from Healthwatch Norfolk, we have asked NHS Property Services to keep us and the local community informed of progress with the site. We will continue to keep under review the services available in north Norfolk, and if other opportunities arise to invest in services, we will explore them fully, as we have with Benjamin Court.”
Download the full report here
Download the formal response from Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board here
The video below recaps some of the key points from the report.
There is a subtitled version of the video below:
