A rural hospital ward that shut down 10 months ago could be closed to frail patients for good.

Maple Ward, an ‘intermediate care’ facility at Holme Valley Memorial Hospital in Thongsbridge, was mothballed last April amid chronic staff shortages.

It has never re-opened.

At the time of its temporary closure it was mostly treating elderly people who weren’t able to look after themselves at home.

Attempts to relaunch the facility have been hampered because of a lack of applicants for nursing jobs.

Locala, the community health organisation that runs the hospital, admitted last autumn that not one person applied for the nursing roles advertised to enable re-opening.

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Jane Close, Locala’s director of operations, told members of Kirklees Council’s Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel, that she still didn’t have the confidence that she would have enough full time nurses to re-open the doors.

And she revealed she was now looking at alternative uses for the ward in conjunction with health chiefs at Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group.

“Last April we had more staff leaving than we could recruit,” she explained to councillors and members of the panel.

“I took the decision to temporarily close it as I wasn’t prepared to run it using agency staff.

“We haven’t been in a position to open it up safely since.

“I’m still mindful that people could leave and then we’re back to square one.”

Huddersfield town hall

Mrs Close told the panel the ward had been used as “overspill” for Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and a review of intermediate care – facilities for people not well enough to go home but not ill enough for a bed in the infirmary – was underway.

She added: “It is my belief that where possible, patients should be back at home rather than in a bedded facility.

“It isn’t the CCG’s intention to leave that ward shut but it won’t be used how it was before.”

Panel member Prof Peter Bradshaw, a former health adviser to Margaret Thatcher’s government, urged Locala to find a good use for the ward.

“It is a precious facility,” he said. “We don’t want it to be a dumping ground for HRI.

“With a bit of thought it could put to some use and not be closed.”

It is hoped a new use will be proposed some time next month.