Part of a Kent hospital will be shut for four weeks due to staffing problems.
Fears have been raised about the future of the inpatient services at Faversham Cottage after it was announced it would be closing for a month on Friday.
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) says it has no choice but to temporarily pause admissions at the Stone Street site.
The trust says the service was paused to maintain safe staffing levels after a rise in the number of nursing vacancies and sickness, particularly in critical leadership roles.
It says the decision not to reopen the service will remain in place for a month while a full review of staffing is carried out.
The hospital has a 16-bed ward and provides rehabilitation for patients across east Kent to help them regain their independence after leaving an acute hospital.
It also accepts some patients following a GP referral.
KCHFT says all other services provided at the hospital are unaffected.
Chief executive Mairead McCormick said: “This is not a decision we have taken lightly. Our priority is, and always will be, the safety and well-being of our patients, staff, and volunteers.
“During the past couple of months, we have been working hard to bolster staffing; transferring colleagues from alternative hospitals, recruiting to vacant posts, supporting staff to return to work and using our bank and agency workforce.
“Despite these efforts, it is no longer sustainable to continue to use a temporary workforce and re-deploy staff from our other hospitals, placing other services at risk.
“I want to stress this is a temporary pause and in no way reflects on the dedication and professionalism of our team at Faversham, who strive to provide the very best care for our patients.
“Thanks to the hard work of everyone, we hope the remaining three patients will be ready to go home, with support, by Friday. If not, they will be smoothly transferred to another community hospital.
“Today we are launching a new recruitment campaign to attract staff to all our community hospitals and community teams.”
The trust says it will work closely with staff and partners to minimise disruption and offer alternative temporary roles to support more people to receive care in their own homes, or at alternative community hospitals, such as those in Whitstable and Herne Bay.
It will also be working with catering and facilities teams to support them into alternative roles during the pause.
The trust has committed to reviewing the decision within a month.
However, MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, Helen Whately, says she has fears about the future of the hospital following the announcement.
The Tory politician said: “I’ve just had the shocking news that Faversham Cottage Hospital is to close on Friday.
“I’ve been told it’s a temporary closure for four weeks due to unsafe staffing levels, but I am deeply concerned the future of Faversham Cottage Hospital is now hanging in the balance without community consultation.
“At no point have I ever been warned that the hospital faced closure – temporary or permanent – until I heard the news today.
“Of course the hospital needs to be safely staffed but there should have been warnings to the community before now if it was at risk.
“The Cottage Hospital is an integral part of Faversham and it must reopen.”
