A rehabilitation unit in Grantham has been closed temporarily due so its staff can support another centre near Sleaford.

The 15-bed Ashley House in Beacon Lane is a mental house unit and has been rated among the best in the country.

The temporary measure is to allow its staff to support the opening of Ash Villa, a new acute treatment ward near Sleaford, and to ensure other wards remain safely staffed.

The 15-bed unit on Willoughby Road, Greylees, is run by the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Jane Marshall, Director of Strategy, Planning and Partnerships, said: "As we continue to respond to the pandemic and the pressures on our teams, we have to make sure that our staff are deployed in the best way to meet the needs of our patients.

"We work hard to make sure our services are safe at all times and that our staffing levels are right. Given pressures on staffing, we have taken the difficult decision to temporarily close our rehabilitation unit in Grantham, Ashley House, which has 15 beds.

"This is part of a contingency plan to make sure that we have sufficient staff for our acute and crisis inpatient services, to continue to deliver critical urgent mental health care.

"This temporary change will allow us to move staff to support the opening of Ash Villa, our new adult acute treatment ward in Greylees near Sleaford, and ensure our other wards remain safely staffed.

"Ash Villa is a 15 bed acute ward that we are opening to help bring patients who are currently placed out of Lincolnshire, closer to home for their care.

"Patients being cared for at Ashley House will be supported by our community rehabilitation team, or in an alternative local rehabilitation wards. We will be working with carers and families to maintain regular contact with their loved ones as we have throughout the pandemic.

"This is a temporary measure, which will be reviewed on a monthly basis."