Health chiefs defend St Clare's Hospice replacement plan after bed numbers branded 'an insult'

NHS chiefs have denied the number of beds at a planned new end of life care centre is an ‘insult’, and hinted more could be added.
Kay Smith and campaigners at the former St Clare's Hospice in Jarrow.Kay Smith and campaigners at the former St Clare's Hospice in Jarrow.
Kay Smith and campaigners at the former St Clare's Hospice in Jarrow.

Campaigners have reacted angrily to long-awaited proposals for a replacement for the former St Clare’s Hospice, in Jarrow, which collapsed into insolvency at the beginning of 2019.

As well as concerns over the location of the new palliative facility in South Shields, grievances have also been aired over the suggested number of beds – which is slated to be half of what was on offer at the now defunct charity.

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“Do you agree that four beds is an insult to the population of 150,000 people of South Tyneside?,” asked Keith Roberts, an independent opposition member of South Tyneside Council.

“Bearing in mind, that St Clare Hospice’s eight beds were more than 70% occupied at all times.”

The closure of St Clare’s in January 2019 means South Tyneside has now been without its own dedicated palliative care facility for 20 months.

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Prior to the charity’s fall, it had also been forced to suspend care temporarily twice in 2018, once due to staffing issues and once after concerns were raised by the Care Quality Commission, a health watchdog.

But NHS chiefs at South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) hope their plans for a replacement ‘spoke-and-hub’ service offering hospice-style care at Haven Court, on the South Tyneside Hospital site, will deal with these problems.

Matt Brown, the CCG’s executive director of operations, said: “The last three years of St Clare’s operation, before it had its periods of closure, its bed occupancy was 51%, so of those eight beds, about four were usually full.

“The reality at the moment is there aren’t any.

“If we can get a really good services which works well for people, which gives them a good life and a good death, then it may be that we need more and we will look at that.

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“This is our start – let’s get a great facility up and running and then we can build on it.”

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