Liverpool City Council, in conjunction with partner local authorities, is in the final stages of agreeing the details of a 500-bed respite and recovery centre for Merseyside to ease pressure on hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.
The centre will care for patients from across Merseyside who have low-level needs and are ready for discharge, but can’t yet return home, including those without COVID-19.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “We’ve been working hard to come up with a plan for a centre that helps get people out of hospital quickly, so they aren’t taking up beds for a moment longer than they need to.
“We all know our hospitals will be under immense pressure, even before we reach the expected peak of cases, so it is vital that we have additional capacity available in the system.
“It will also help support those who need residential placements but can’t secure a bed within existing care homes due to pressures in the system.
“I must stress that Liverpool’s hospitals will continue to care for acute patients, and those who are infected with Covid-19, and this will be a large-scale extension of our intermediate care hubs which help bridge the gap between hospital and home.
“This is a great example of different organisations in Merseyside and Liverpool coming together at a time of crisis.”
