PATIENTS receiving hydrotherapy at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton will soon have to carry on their treatment elsewhere.

Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust – which runs the hospital – has been awarded more than £11.5M of government funding to create an “acute assessment hub” on site.

In order for the new hub to be created – and thereby allow emergencies to be dealt with more efficiently – the hydrotherapy pool can no longer remain in its current location.

Instead, those wishing to use it will have to travel to Dene Barton Community Hospital in the nearby village of Cotford St Luke.

Details of the proposed temporary relocation of the pool were discussed by Somerset County Council’s adults and health scrutiny committee in Taunton on Wednesday morning (July 3).

Ian Boswall, the trust’s projects director, said in his written report that the new hub would “enable acute and emergency services for the sickest patients to be centralised into one location”.

He said: “The proposed relocation of hydrotherapy services into a community setting has long been anticipated as part of the hospital development plan.

“This service does not need to be located on an acute hospital site, and there are no practicable or affordable options for relocating this service elsewhere on the hospital site.

“Patients and staff have been asked for their views about the hydrotherapy service, and both groups are generally happy if this service is relocated to another pool or new pool in the Taunton Deane area.”

The changes would affect around 1,200 people a year based on the pool’s current level of usage.

Mr Boswall said the full cost of the relocation had not yet been confirmed.

He said: “We haven’t identified the cost yet – that is a piece of work which is ongoing. We think there’s a healthy allowance to cover the cost and the cost won’t creep up.”

Dene Barton is currently served by a community bus service, with the trust promising to work with commercial operators to establish a new route if the relocation of the pool becomes permanent.

Councillor Hazel Prior-Sankey, who chairs the committee, asked: “What does a temporary structure look like? It almost predicates on the physiotherapy people staying at Dene Barton – a lot of people like that service. Are you looking at a building structure with the pool in it?”

Mr Boswall responded: “There is an assisted bathroom which would fit this pool in. It might need some adjustments to the height of the building, but it is within the fabric of the existing building.”

The committee voted to endorse the proposed relocation. The trust has not confirmed the time-scale for when this will take place.