Discharge to Assess Community Beds

NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board have awarded a time limited contract for the provision of 8 P2 Pathway Discharge to Assess Beds to Brunelcare Ltd under urgent circumstances. These beds will be delivered at Orchard Grove operated by Brunelcare Ltd. The system is facing an immediate and unplanned capacity shortfall from April 2026 and creates a direct and imminent risk to patient safety and system flow, which could not reasonably have been fully mitigated through earlier procurement action given the reliance on transformation programmes that were, at the time, expected to reduce demand within the existing contracted capacity.

Pathway 2 (P2) beds form part of the Discharge to Assess (D2A) model and are intended for individuals who are medically optimised for discharge from acute hospital settings but require a short period of ongoing recovery, rehabilitation, and/or assessment prior to returning home or moving to a more appropriate long-term care setting. P2 beds are typically provided within community-based rehabilitation units, step-down facilities, or care home environments and focus on enabling individuals to regain independence, reduce care needs where possible, and support safe discharge through multidisciplinary input, including therapy and clinical oversight where required. The service is VAT‑exempt, and all contract values stated are excluding VAT