Early Success for New Nursing Care Unit at Waterside Care Home in Southwark

Care provider Agincare has partnered with Southwark Council to increase nursing care and reablement capacity in the borough with the opening of a new specialist unit at Waterside Care Home in Peckham.

The Avon Unit was officially opened by Cllr Evelyn Akoto, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing at Southwark Council, Agincare Founder and Chairman Derek Luckhurst and Chief Executive Raina Summerson on 7 November 2023.

The unit currently has 17 bedrooms and spacious communal areas to support both people in reablement pathways and those who need to be discharged from hospital for further assessment, or to prevent hospital admission.

Waterside Care Home will also provide nursing provision to a further 16 people, and it is expected that this will continue to develop over time.

Agincare Group Chief Executive Raina Summerson said: “Agincare is proud to work closely in partnership with Southwark Council and the South East London ICB to increase nursing capacity across the borough.

“As a leading care provider nationwide, we have over 35 years of experience of delivering high quality, personalised care in a wide range of settings, and look forward to developing our services to support local people in the area.”

Since opening the unit has made a major impact on delayed hospital discharges with over 80% of people who stayed in the unit returning home without the need for additional ongoing support.

Cllr Evelyn Akoto, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “In Southwark, we are bucking the national decline in the number of nursing care beds. They provide complex and specialist support that is vital to our social care ecosystem.

“The new Avon Unit means more joined up care for our residents with a real focus on them retaining their independence. We are delighted by the unit’s success so far; the product of expert care and close work between the council, Agincare and the local NHS.”