‘Pioneering’ £9m elderly care facility for South Tyneside

A new £9m state-of-the-art medical and social care centre is set to revolutionise how elderly people are looked after in South Tyneside.

South Tyneside MBC have awarded a contract for a new Integrated Care Services Hub to be built by South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust in the grounds of the borough’s District Hospital.

The new 80-bed building is seen as crucial in how the borough deals with both an ageing population and an increasing number of people affected by dementia.

Coun Allan West, formerly the council’s lead member for adult social care, said the creation of the new hub was a “cause for celebration”.

He said: “I feel a sense of personal excitement. We have put years of hard work into this and it was a privilege to be involved in the project.

“Just like the rest of the UK, South Tyneside has an ageing population. However, here in South Tyneside we know there will be a 50 per cent increase in dementia across all ages by 2030 and a 138 per cent increase among people over 90.

“This new hub is about making sure we have the service and facilities to meet that growing need.”

The focus of the new centre is to improve well-being of older people, especially those with dementia, and to offer as much support as possible to enable them to live independently in their community, with appropriate support, for as long as possible.

Helen Watson, the council’s corporate director for children adults and families, described the hub as “pioneering” and said South Tyneside is recognised as one of only 14 integrated ‘health and social care pioneers’ in the country.

She said: “What we are doing here is a first for the region. This is a project which will attract national attention. Enhancing the existing offer was critical.

“We have a fantastic working partnership with the Foundation Trust and our other partners in the scheme and this will prove to be a state-of-the-art hub offering universal services, from information and advice to day care, telecare, respite services and end-of-life care.

“This is an opportunity to bring one cohesive offer in one place. It’s a phenomenal offer.”

The hub will also have space for pre-bookable respite care and help to use technological aids to support independent living, in addition to rooms for medical consultations and assessment of people’s needs.