THE FUTURE of a Yeadon care home has been made more secure after a decision to provide 32 community beds on the premises.

The new five year contract to provide 32 nursing community intermediate care beds at Suffolk Court, has been awarded to a partnership of Leeds Community Healthcare, Leeds Teaching Hospitals and Leeds City Council.

Part of a 190 bed NHS funded procurement scheme across Leeds, the beds are designed to avoid hospital admission. They will help timely hospital discharge as well as rehabilitation and recovery.

The decision has been welcomed by the three ward councillors for Otley and Yeadon.

Cllr Ryk Downes said: "This is wonderful news and helps secure the future of the facility, a facility that just four years ago was under threat of closure. We were able to campaign then and since for Suffolk Court to continue to care for the long term residents who call it their home. I am pleased that Leeds has also given an assurance that those remaining residents can live out their remaining years in Suffolk Court.

Cllr Sandy Lay said he had been campaigning on the issue for the last five years along with former Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland.

"Everyone benefits, the acute hospitals get their beds earlier and quicker, the patients benefit as family and friends don’t need to travel so far to visit and the local community benefits as the partnership will be looking for additional staff locally to support the new service," he said.

Cllr Colin Campbell added: "These 32 beds join the 52 beds reopened this year at Wharfedale Hospital and are testament to our desire to see more care and services provided closer to home. We are pleased that we are now beginning to see 'step down' and 'step up' beds being provided in our community rather than a two or three bus journey away at St James Hospital'.

Mr Mulholland, councillors, residents and their families fought to keep Suffolk Court open when it was threatened with closure. In 2015 they celebrated the news that the care home had been saved following a report from Leeds City Council confirming that the home was to stay open for respite, along with intermediary and recovery, care.