A new care and nursing centre beside the William Harvey hospital will help patients get back to full strength after they leave hospital.

Organisers hope the service will also ease bed-blocking.

The pioneering JustCare Intermediate Care Centre will be alongside the Ashford hospital and aims to bridge the move of patients from hospital to home.

It will give them occupational therapy after they are well enough to leave hospital to make them fit enough to return home and look after themselves.

JustCare managing director Ernie Thwaite said: “The facility will give Ashford a capability that has so far only been provided in a few towns across the UK.
“Locally it could help eradicate bed-blocking. It is a win-win situation for everyone.”

The £8 million 84-bed centre, just 30 metres from the hospital is planned to open in spring 2011. It will have up to 100 occupational therapists and nurses.

Mr Thwaite said: “There have been great advances in surgery where someone needs only be in hospital for three days for a hip operation. But they still need time to build their muscles fully back and our centre would be for that.”

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust said there was now an average of 16.7 cases of bed blocking a week at the William Harvey Hospital.

Mr Thwaite believes that the project would also ease the disappointment over the cancellation of plans to build a new health centre at the former Ashford Hospital site in Kings Avenue.

The primary care trust NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent decided to scrap the scheme after deciding it was “not value for money” but has still put in a planning application to keep options open.

The 1.8 acre JustCare centre was given planning permission by Ashford borough councillors in June 2008 and building is expected to start early in 2010.

Nurses, health assistants and therapists will deliver treatments for heart and breathing conditions, arthritis, diet management, counselling and physical exercise.

It will have en-suite bedrooms, gardens, a gym, private rooms for overnight family visits and green-friendly electric mini-ambulances for transferring patients from the hospital to the centre.