Concerns have been raised about the impact the opening of the new Royal Liverpool hospital may have on some vulnerable Sefton residents.
The concerns relate to the capacity of the new Royal, which will have 132 less beds than the current site.
According to a Sefton Council cabinet update released this week “there are concerns regarding how as a system the bed occupancy is reduced to eighty-five per cent of its present capacity to facilitate the opening of the new building.
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”The report notes there will be “increased pressure to free any capacity from all sites” as a result of the opening of the hospital.
It adds there are “discussions taking place currently about the transfer of patients needing ongoing treatment from Royal to beds at Aintree and Longmoor House.”
Sefton Adult social care is expecting, as a result of these pressures, to see “increased scrutiny” over the flow of patient discharges, potentially exacerbating already existing challenges of moving some patients from hospital to care environments.
The new Royal Liverpool hospital is due to open on September 28 following a five year delay. The construction was beset by problems, largely a result of the collapse of construction giant Carillion, the previous contractor.
Current contractor, Laing O’Rourke, took over the finish of the build after Carillion’s collapse, handing over some of the building to Liverpool University Hospital Trust last month.
The long awaited move across from the old Royal to the new is expected to take 24 days and is due to be complete by October 21.
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