NHS trusts across the South West have begun discharging patients to hotels to free up hospital beds for those in need of acute care. In Bristol city centre, two floors of the Leonardo Hotel are currently being used for rehabilitation, including help with mobility and self-care to enable them to return home.
The care facility at the four-star Leonardo was introduced in late November 2022 and will be in operation until March 2023, accommodating up to 30 patients with an average length of stay expected to be three weeks. Inside the hotel, care is being delivered by live-in staff from the CQC-registered company Abicare on a 24/7 basis, with visiting clinical teams providing rehabilitation and primary care support
Other regions in the UK have previously employed hotels for patients that no longer need to be in hospital for treatment, but the practice is now being used by trusts across the southwest, including Bristol, Devon and Cornwall.
