COUNCIL chiefs are set to approve the spending of a Government grant that will help a long-term hospital patient return home.

Darlington Borough Council has received a £60,000 grant from the Department of Health's Transforming Care capital fund.

The fund was set up following a BBC Panorama report into abuse at Winterbourne View Hospital, in Gloucestershire.

Following the Panorama revelations, a national audit was undertaken that identified all those people in England and Wales who effectively had a hospital as an address.

Four of those people were identified as the responsibility of Darlington council and so far three of those people have been discharged from hospital.

A report to cabinet members said: "There is a plan in place to support the discharge of the remaining individual and, in March, council approved the funding implications.

"Due to the complexity of the support required, it has taken some time to identify a support provider and develop a bespoke package based on their particular needs.

"An application was made for a grant of £60,000 [which] will be used to contribute to the refurbishment of a property into which this individual will be discharged.

"The refurbishment will increase the chances of a successful transition from hospital to community.

"Should this placement not be successful, the works undertaken will ensure there is a resource locally that is able to support people with complex needs and reduce the risk of hospital admission or need to move away from Darlington to have social care needs met."

Cabinet members will discuss the approving the release of the grant in a meeting at the town hall on April 7, at 5pm.