03/09/2024
- a story of how a coastal community is rallying to reopen a vital facility supporting those discharged from hospital
In July BBC Newsnight featured an appalling situation at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, with patients being put in corridors due to delayed discharges and overcrowding, leading to long ambulance waiting times. There is an important extra strand to this story which affects the population of North Norfolk – and very probably other similar communities in Britain.
THIS IS OUR STORY
Cromer, on the North Norfolk coast, is known as a busy happy holiday destination but there is a dark hidden secret behind the bunting and ice creams. Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty's report in November 2023 stated: ‘…areas such as North Norfolk are going to age rapidly and predictably. Providing services suitable for older adults in these areas is an absolute priority if we wish to maximise the period all older citizens have in independence. The provision of health and social care needs to be concentrated in these areas…’
Flying in the face of such advice, Norfolk County Council closed Benjamin Court, our local reablement/ convalescent unit, in June 2023 with no public warning or consultation. This unit provided residential care and support to those fit to be discharged from hospital but not yet able to cope at home. It was a vital ‘pressure relief valve’ for the hospital wards and staff, reduced bed-blocking and hospital acquired infections due to prolonged stays, and of course offered all the long-term human benefits of a caring recovery period close to family. The County Council claimed that they were not closing down the service but just ‘changing it’ to a non-residential service, using ‘virtual wards’ and home-based care. However, many people have told us that ‘virtual ward’ care is unsuitable for their needs, and hard-pressed social care services are no substitute for the services which Benjamin Court used to provide.
Following a packed and angry public meeting called by the then local MP, a ‘Save Benjamin Court’ campaign group was formed to take up the cause and battle against what we felt was a ridiculously short-sighted decision. We have been continuously lobbying NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) to reopen the unit. We have submitted a petition with close to 4,000 signatures, held lively demonstrations and have had many meetings calling for the closure decision to be reversed. Specifically, we have called on the ICB to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of closing Benjamin Court, which had running costs of around £350,000 a year (plus staff), while a new reablement/ rehabilitation unit for the region is costing £19.6 million (plus staff), is not yet open, and is 26 miles away from Cromer in Norwich! - a serious consideration for the many elderly people in this rural area. We also want the ICB to look at the costs of delayed discharges and returns to hospital by those discharged unsuitably early.
Our campaign, which was initiated by North Norfolk Trades Union Council, has gathered significant local support, including from North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) who have written to the ICB and the new Health Secretary Wes Streeting. NNDC CEO Steve Blatch said in his letter to the ICB: ‘North Norfolk District Council would ask that Norfolk Healthwatch and the Norfolk and Waveney ICB support the re-opening of the “mothballed” NHS owned Benjamin Court facility in Cromer. The proposed permanent closure or loss of the Benjamin Court facilities goes against the principles of patients being at the heart of everything the NHS does; places elderly and vulnerable residents at a disadvantage in being able to access reablement, rehabilitation, respite and palliative care services – in terms of independence and cost.’
A growing number of local Parish Councils have also issued strong statements of support. Norfolk Healthwatch conducted a survey last year which demonstrated strong local views in favour of reopening Benjamin Court, and the newly elected MP Steffan Aquarone is challenging the legal basis for closing the reablement service. We have gathered a dossier of statements by local residents saying why they feel so strongly that we need to get Benjamin Court reopened.
As a result of our campaign, the ICB commissioned Norfolk Healthwatch to conduct a ‘public engagement exercise’ about the ‘future use’ of Benjamin Court, and held a public meeting in July as part of this exercise. At this meeting, councillors and more than 50 members of the public all made their feelings clear – Reopen Benjamin Court Now! We are now waiting for the publication of the Healthwatch report and the ICB’s response, expected in mid-September.
Whilst this appears to be a local issue, in fact it highlights a major national problem: namely, the lack of facilities for those ready to leave acute hospital care but not yet able to return home, following years of cuts and closures of community NHS facilities. A local victory in North Norfolk could signal the start of resolving one of the biggest issues facing the NHS today.
We have a mass of extra information available to add to this story including:
Dossier of personal, heartfelt emotional statements
Chris Whitty report in Eastern Daily Press
BMJ report on failure of Virtual Wards system
North Norfolk District Council CEO statement of concern
Parish & district council’s letters of support
Recording and Transcript of recent ICB/Healthwatch/public meeting
Healthwatch feedback report October 2023
Posters, flyers, badges, placards, banners, press cuttings, photos, films etc.
Published by the Save Benjamin Court campaign, September 2024
For further information contact Martin Booth on [email protected]
