A COMMUNITY hospital for the elderly has moved from Headington’s John Radcliffe to the Churchill.

Health bosses said the move of the 20-bed Oxford City Community Hospital last weekend would put patients closer to other services.

It has relocated from the seventh floor of the JR to join the older adult mental health teams at the Churchill’s Fulbrook Centre a mile away.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust spokesman Alistair Duncan said: “This will increase the opportunities for older people’s mental and physical health teams to share expertise and resources.”

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The hospital, which caters mostly for OAPs referred for rehabilitation or end-of-life care, meets national design guidelines for pensioners, he said. This includes a wall covered in a giant photograph of a meadow and artwork to direct people to facilities like toilets.

Work started on the 20-bed unit at the Churchill in July and the project cost more than £1m to complete.

It has single bedrooms, whereas before some patients had to share bay areas with others in the JR.

Trust head of community hospitals Karen Campbell said: “Not only are the surroundings more pleasant, and more likely to help people on the way to recovery, but the co-location of these services with older adult mental health services means we will be able to exchange knowledge that will benefit patients under the care of both teams.”

The trust has also re-opened 12 beds at the Abingdon and Witney community hospitals – six at each site.


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