NHS trust to close rehabilitation facility
BBCA regional rehabilitation and recovery centre is set to close, as its NHS trust moves to a "community-focused" model.
The Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust (TEWV) said it plans to close the Primrose Lodge facility in Chester-le-Street, leaving it with an improved site in Stockton.
The move will see the number of rehabilitation beds in the area fall from 35 to 20.
TEWV said the change to the services would "enhance patient outcomes, improve service efficiency and ensure financial sustainability", but critics said there had been poor communication with the public.
Primrose Lodge helps people return into the community after spending time in a hospital setting.
But there are environmental and safety concerns with the site, including a lack of en suite facilities, poor accessibility and environmental safety risks, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The trust said its facility at Lustrum Vale in Stockton was safer, more comfortable and would improve patient support.
Chester-le-Street North councillor Tracie Smith criticised the decision to close Primrose Lodge and said residents were concerned about the security of the site and what the building would be used for next.
"In the future, if you are going to turn the lights off, communicate with your local community," she said.
Durham County Council also shared its concerns over the long distances people would have to travel to attend the Stockton facility.
Jamie Todd, TEWV director of operations and transformation, said: "There will be some people who need to travel - that distance might be more excessive than it is to Primrose Lodge - but I hope they will see that they are in a better environment with a more sustainable workforce."
