THE stroke rehabilitation service looks set to be moved from Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
But other rehabilitation services may well move over to Huddersfield from Calderdale.
A new proposal to shift stroke rehabilitation services from the Infirmary to Calderdale Royal Hospital looks set to get the go-ahead.
Currently acute stroke care is based at the Halifax hospital but the recovery services for patients are spread across both hospitals, allowing Huddersfield patients to return to their area after care.
The new re-design aims to move all stroke rehabilitation services from HRI to Calderdale but that will mean dozens of patients will have to make repeated visits to Halifax.
A spokesman for the trust said: “Under the proposals more than 220 patients a year, many who are elderly and frail, will receive their rehabilitation care and be able to continue their recovery at the same site as where their acute care is currently delivered.
“We believe this to be a much better way for delivering care for them.
“It no longer means the need to be transferred to another hospital and another team part-way through their care which happens at present.
“The trust aims to deliver the best care for our patients in the most appropriate setting and this service redesign will certainly achieve this for our patients.”
In a report due to go before Kirklees Council scrutiny committee next week, the trust has also outlined plans to add general rehabilitation to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
General rehabilitation is provided for many conditions such as fractured neck, amputees resulting from vascular conditions, major abdominal surgery and “other conditions where a period of rehabilitation will improve the patient’s ability to cope at home.”
This means that patients who receive an operation of this kind at HRI will not need to be transferred to Calderdale for rehabilitation.
The number of patients who had stroke rehabilitation from January 2012 to end of June 2012 at HRI was 110.
And the number of patients who have moved from HRI to Calderdale for general rehab between the same period was 53.
A total of 18 beds look set to be added on Ward 21 at HRI for general rehab and stroke rehabilitation will be provided in the following wards at CRH : 14 beds on Ward 7A, 12 beds on Ward 7B and 12 beds on Ward 7C at Calderdale.
The Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust has said the new arrangement is set to provide the following advantages:
It will reduce the number of moves mid care across site for Kirklees and Calderdale patients.
The occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dieticians, speech and language personnel working together will allow increased flexibility.
There will be continuity of care for the patients from the same clinical team all working together.
It has the potential to reduce the length of stay for patients as often a period of disruption and a cross-site move can delay their recovery.
