A rehabilitation centre with capacity for just 14 patients at a time is costing taxpayers more than £2 million a year to run, new figures have revealed.
The response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Law revealed that the rehabilitation centre at St Ewold’s Residential Care Home operates with a standard allocation of 14 beds, rising to a maximum of 17 during winter pressures – despite costing taxpayers £166,667 a month to run.
A total of 120 patients were admitted to the ward in its first year since opening in May 2024.
The former Samarès Ward was moved to the residential care home for up to nine years while work progresses towards delivering the new hospital.
The rehabilitation centre employs 44 permanent staff across nursing, therapy, medical, housekeeping, catering, and ward clerk roles.
According the the FOI response, the monthly running cost is £166,667, quarterly is £500,000, and the yearly budget is £2m. The service operates within budget.
The response also confirmed that, if the unit is at capacity, patients awaiting rehabilitation remain as inpatients at the General Hospital and receive therapy input from the acute team until a rehabilitation bed becomes free.