WORK to temporarily relocate rehabilitation services back to Overdale is ‘progressing well’ and extra staff cover is planned for next month to help ease the move, according to the government.
Earlier this year it was announced that services would return to Samarès Ward at Overdale for the last six months of the year while Plémont Ward at the hospital is refurbished.
Deputy Richard Renouf revealed that £2 million would be invested in improving the Island’s rehabilitation suite, including a redesign of the highly criticised service on offer at Plémont Ward. This is due to be completed by the end of 2022 and, in the meantime, the unit will return to its original home at Overdale from 22 July.
A spokesperson from Health and Community Services said: ‘Plans to temporarily relocate the rehabilitation unit back to Samarès Ward at our Overdale site are progressing well. The work to prepare Samarès Ward is well under way.
‘The move is being planned to take place in the latter part of July, taking into account the condition of patients and the operational position of the hospital. Further detail will be released in due course.’
They added: ‘All patients and equipment are expected to move at this time [22 July]. Staffing cover is being planned for both sites to provide additional workforce to facilitate the move and to ensure that the high quality of care will not be affected during the relocation.
‘Following the relocation, work on our new rehabilitation unit is due to start. The new unit is planned to open in December 2022.’
The refurbishment of Plémont Ward will include a full redecoration and refurbishment, as well the creation of a dining room, a day room for socialising, additional partitions in the four bed bays to create more privacy for patients and a laundry service for patients.
