Next step towards city’s first intermediate care unit

Council chiefs will be asked to approve proposals to push ahead with the refurbishment of Harry Booth House, at their meeting of executive board next week.

The plans support the joint aim of the council and its health partners to have more efficient and effective integrated services that will deliver better outcomes for vulnerable adults in Leeds.

Harry Booth House will be the city’s first intermediate care unit providing nursing and non-nursing intermediate care beds, jointly commissioned by NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds (NHSABL), adult social care services and delivered in partnership with Leeds Community Healthcare Trust (LCH).

As part of the council’s plans to reshape residential care for older people in Leeds, which were approved last year, it was agreed to recommission Harry Booth House to provide 24-hour intermediate care for adults whose immediate needs cannot be met in their own homes.

It will provide a range of integrated services to promote faster recovery from illness, prevent unnecessary hospital admission and premature admission to long-term residential care, and support timely discharge from hospital and maximise independent living.

The council and NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds have committed significant expenditure to ensure that Harry Booth House is a first class refurbishment that will benefit vulnerable, older people in Leeds.

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, executive member for adult social care said:
“Leeds City Council is committed to creating better lives for older people in the city, and working closely with the NHS to deliver a new model of rehabilitation, reablement and recovery care.

"Our extensive consultation programme last year gave us the opportunity to re-evaluate current and future provision in the city, and we were able to set out plans to transform housing, care and support services for older people for the future. It also confirmed that older people want to be helped to live independently and safely in their own homes for long as possible.

"The establishment of Harry Booth House as the city's first intermediate care unit providing both nursing and non-nursing care beds in partnership with Leeds Community Healthcare Trust is an important step forward in this journey. It will provide a service that is responsive and proactive in preventing older people from needing more intense care and support services following an illness or stay in hospital.

“This is a good example of how the council are delivering better outcomes for older people by working closely with our partners and making better use of our diminishing resources.”

Dr Simon Stockill, clinical lead for NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds said:
“The challenges of an ageing population are well documented and the need for services to adapt to meet the needs of older people is one that is of significant importance to the NHS and our partners, including Leeds City Council.

“I am delighted that in Leeds we are being proactive in meeting this challenge and the funding being provided for Harry Booth House provides clear evidence of our commitment to the ongoing care needs of older people in our city. It also demonstrates the importance of listening to and responding to the needs of local people so that services truly are designed around them.”

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For media enquiries, please contact;
Claire Macklam, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 395 1578
Email: claire.macklam@leeds.gov.uk