A 24-bed ward at Newport's St Woolos Hospital is set to close under plans to provide enhanced care for vulnerable elderly patients in their homes.

Aneurin Bevan Health Board bosses propose to begin closing beds on Penhow Ward from August.

The process and timescale will be guided by two factors - demand for beds in the Royal Gwent, and the setting up of a community team of consultants, nurses, re-ablement support staff, social workers and therapists, to provide enhanced care outside of hospital that will be designed to help prevent admissions to hospital, and speed up discharge.

The latter team will be set up through the Gwent Frailty Programme, a multi-million pound NHS and local authority initiative designed to help shift the balance of treatment and care, primarily of elderly patients, away from hosptials and into patients' homes.

Penhow is a rehabilitation ward, and health board bosses propose to enhance the services available on its sister wards, Gwanwyn and Ruperra, particularly in terms of therapist support, with the community team taking on its other responsibilities.

Improvements in patient flows on these and other wards at St Woolos has resulted in the average length of stay falling from more than 40 days to below 25 for much of 2011 to date.

The numbers of bedblockers have also fallen, from more than 20 during late summer and autumn 2010, to 12 or less for each month this year.

The community team for Newport is still being assembled and a health board report on the proposal acknowledges that the speed at which this happens will guide the closure proposal.

The report also acknowledges that bed pressures at the Royal Gwent bring an element of risk, and the system of patient flow between the acute and community hospital sector, and on into their home environment, must be further improved.

Penhow Ward staff will be formally displaced form their current roles, but will be entitled to prior consideration for posts in the new system. They will also be entitled to prior consideration for suitable alternative vacancies elsewhere in the health board.