How many beds in Wellow ward?

The Island’s NHS Trust has denied there is any threat to its widely admired end-of-life Wellow Unit, after rumours circulated on social media that the unit was to close.

The trust issued a statement that said “The care provided on Wellow Unit is among the best in the NHS and we understand how much it means to our colleagues, patients, and their loved ones.

“We are responding to significant, longstanding pressure in the wider hospital and working to use the limited space we have available as efficiently as possible.

“This means that Wellow will be moved temporarily to another part of St Mary’s Hospital in the coming days while essential building works are carried out and a long-term home for this excellent service is found.

“Wellow Unit has three beds, in its new temporary location it will still have three beds and will be staffed in the same way.

“Patients and their families will continue to receive high-quality, person-centred end-of-life care from the same team.”

Despite referring to Wellow as a three-bedded unit, after repeated questions the trust later admitted that the ward in its previous location had “the option to flex up to a maximum of six beds” depending on patient need. Only three beds are apparently being provided in its new temporary home in the stroke unit.

The ward was shortlisted in the Sun newspaper’s Who Cares Wins awards for the ‘Best NHS Team’ late last year.

IW Healthwatch said in a post on its website. “We were told that the ward will not be closing, it will be moved temporarily to another area of the hospital, but the same number of beds will be provided for people needing end-of-life care.

“There will still be a separate room available for family members to use.”

We have asked the trust whether there is still the option to double the capacity of Wellow Ward up to six beds.