Former Eastbourne care home on standby for potential second wave of Covid

The former council run care home was closed by the conservative run county council. This was despite, say campaigners, its proven excellent services delivered by a very professional team of staff.

The house was previously used as a rehabilitation and reablement service operated jointly by East Sussex County Council and the local NHS trust. It provided short term support of up to six weeks to people usually following discharge from hospital after a stroke, orthopaedic trauma or accident.

Officials say Firwood House could provide excellent step-down services to help avoid the hospitals becoming overwhelmed and it is most important that social services work closely with NHS colleagues to provide seamless services during difficult times.

An East Sussex County Council spokesman said, “The county council continues to work closely with health and other social care partners to ensure that our collective resources are used as effectively as possible to address the challenges that Covid-19 presents to the whole system and wider community.

“This includes Firwood House which has been equipped and maintained so that, subject to staffing, in the event of an emergency it can become operational within a matter of hours.

“This response capability is not solely intended for any incidents created by Covid-19, but can also be used to support any significant issue in a care home that requires the urgent relocation of its residents, such as a fire or flood.

“Provision to support and maintain the required capacity within our acute hospitals has been purchased from the independent sector using government Covid-19 discharge funding. The range and geographical spread of independent sector care homes provides the required flexibility to assist in alleviating the ongoing pressures on the NHS.”

The news that the home is on standby comes after two county councillors, John Ungar, Lib Dem for Old Town, and Colin Swansborough, Lib Dem for Hampden Park, called for Firwood House to open again as a way of taking pressure off the NHS.

Both councillors expressed concerns that the county council should do everything it can to ease pressures on the NHS, should the area suffer a second Covid-19 spike.