Villa Care Opens Ward at Wharfedale Hospital

Villa Care Group, a Leeds based healthcare company and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have signed an agreement to open the Bilberry Unit at Wharfedale Hospital in Otley, a facility providing nursing beds.

The beds will be for existing older patients who have finished their acute episode of care at St James’s University Hospital or Leeds General Infirmary and are medically fit for discharge from the Trust, but are waiting whilst assessment or packages of care are put in place.

Nursing and care in the Bilberry Unit will be provided by Villa Care Group, while Leeds Teaching Hospitals will provide physio and occupational therapy staff.

Howard Taylor, Managing Director of Villa Care Group said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals on this important initiative. This is a positive and innovative collaboration for the Trust and Leeds as a whole and most importantly for the patients, who can benefit from a programme designed to advance them to the next stage of care.

“Wharfedale Hospital provides an excellent modern facility that is an important part of the area’s healthcare community, and this unit will enhance that role.”

The admission of patients from the Trust hospitals with subsequent discharge from the unit to their next stage of care or home is a key provision of the unit’s operation.

Since opening, the unit has reached its full operating level, releasing much needed capacity back to the acute hospitals in Leeds with many patients having already been discharged home or onto long term care, at levels exceeding expectations.

Villa Care opened the unit on time and on budget.

Villa Care is a Leeds based healthcare provider operating nursing homes, nursing domiciliary care and a healthcare consultancy division. Villa Care Ltd is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Issued by Villa Care: 0113 265 9353
Media contact: Howard Taylor
For more information on Villa Care Group visit www.villacaregroup.com