To better serve the needs of the community, Livewell Southwest and University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) are repurposing Mount Gould Hospital to create a Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation and Ageing Well.

This reconfiguration is designed to address the growing demand for rehabilitation and mental health services, aligning with national healthcare goals and the evolving needs of our local population.

As our community grows older, there is an increasing need for specialised care models that support patients in community or home settings, rather than in acute hospitals.

The new vision for Mount Gould integrates existing services to create a more efficient, patient-centred care model, while helping to alleviate system pressures on the main Derriford Hospital site.

This will ensure patients receive the right care and can return home as soon as appropriate.

These changes to the Mount Gould site will take place in three phases across the next 12 to 18 months:

Rightsizing general rehabilitation beds: The current general rehabilitation beds on Kingfisher and Skylark wards will be merged into one ward, offering capacity for 24 beds.

The existing 10 to 12 end of life beds will remain unaffected.

Relocation of Stroke Rehabilitation: The space vacated by the general rehabilitation beds on Kingfisher will be used to relocate the Stroke Rehabilitation Service from Wembury, increasing capacity to 15 to 24 beds and providing specialist neuro-rehabilitation services.

The new location is situated alongside the rehabilitation gym, providing partnership access for all neuro and stroke rehab patients.

Relocation of Male Mental Health Beds: The space on Wembury vacated by the Stroke Rehabilitation Service will accommodate the male mental health rehabilitation beds currently located in Syrena House.

This will increase capacity from nine to 15 beds.

The ultimate goal is for 75 per cent of patients to return home following hospital admission with the appropriate support, in line with what patients consistently tell us they want.

This initiative is part of our commitment to providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time, based on the health demands of our local population.

Mark Hackett, Interim Chief Executive for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, and Michelle Thomas, Chief Executive for Livewell Southwest, said:

“The reconfiguration of the bed base on the Mount Gould Hospital site gives us an opportunity to provide specialist beds for the needs of our local population, and create a Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation and Ageing Well.

This is an opportunity to make the Mount Gould footprint a major community site for our patients and what will be a hub for future integrated neighbourhood teams.

“Towards the end of last year the Darzi report, followed by the NHS 10 Year Plan, outlined the need for the NHS to deliver on three shifts to be fit for the future: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

“Plymouth needs more mental health bed provision, and these moves will provide more specialist mental health recovery beds to the Mount Gould Hospital site, supporting those already in operation at Syrena House. “