Dorset Council is planning to build an 80-bed reablement centre on the Dorset County Hospital (DCH) site in Dorchester, UK.

The centre is part of the council's efforts to address the lack of therapeutic recovery services in the area following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to be submitted to Cabinet next week, the proposal aims to increase care capacity and reduce the number of patients who need to stay in long-term care or return to the hospital.

The centre will aim to help patients recover more quickly by providing reablement services, thereby relieving pressure on NHS beds and services.

The goal of the project is to improve health outcomes for people discharged from hospital, who require ongoing care and support.

Dorset Council has allocated up to £80m ($104.6m) from its capital account for the project, which is part of a broader programme to ensure the area has adequate care services to meet future demands.

The proposal will build on current work to support residents who have been discharged from hospital or are recovering from falls or illnesses in their own homes.

It is expected to be detailed further in collaboration with Dorset County Hospital in the coming months, with the aim of creating a model of care that benefits patients and their families.

Dorset County Hospital deputy CEO Nick Johnson said: “One of the key challenges for DCH is that we often have patients who no longer need to be in hospital but are waiting for an ongoing care and support package to be in place before they leave.

“A reablement centre on our site would allow us to move those patients who are ready to leave hospital, allowing them to continue with their recovery and free up beds on our wards for people who need them.

“We look forward to working in partnership with Dorset Council on this initiative.”