Frenchay Hospital will become a rehabilitation centre with extra care housing and a nursing home under plans just announced by the NHS.

Under the Frenchay Project Board’s recommendations, the hospital, which is due to be downgraded in 2013, would become a health and social care centre aimed at reducing the need to go to hospital and rehabilitating people who have undergone operations and treatment.

The board has carried out a lengthy review of services at Frenchay and is due to present its findings to South Gloucestershire Council next week. NHS South Gloucestershire director of primary and community care Roger Pedley said: "The review developed a model for a comprehensive community service to support patients who became ill in their community setting, often referred to as ‘step-up patients’ or following discharge from hospital, often referred to as ‘step-down patients’.

"The model is designed to meet the needs of adults but it is anticipated that the majority of users will be older people."

He said the Frenchay Health and Social Care Centre would include a range of outpatient, diagnostic and therapy services including pain management, orthopaedics, neurology and rheumatology to give patients more independence following a spell in hospital.

Mr Pedley said: "It is recognised that South Gloucestershire is able to meet the majority of the capacity and access requirements of its population using outpatient services capacity already planned.

"However, the technical assessment showed that there would be advantages to patient experience by providing some outpatient clinics at Frenchay. These would service the adult population but have been selected primarily because of their beneficial links to the rehabilitation service."

There could also be an ear, nose and throat facility at Frenchay. The review found there was no demand for a minor injuries unit at Frenchay as the new West Gate Health Centre in Yate will serve the local population.

However, it has given the green light to 47 rehabilitation beds, a possible extra care housing scheme providing independent living and the board has agreed there is potential for a registered care home on site.

Mr Pedley said a masterplan was needed to determine the ‘actual potential of the site as a whole’.

Some independent services may remain at Frenchay, including the brain injury rehabilitation unit, but other services will be transferred to Southmead before a new acute hospital opens there in 2013.

The review comes after a bitter battle to save Frenchay Hospital from being downgraded after the decision to develop the Southmead site was announced in 2005. Since then, campaigners have raised fears that the site would be sold off for housing development instead of used to provide community healthcare facilities.

The project board review is due to be discussed at South Gloucestershire Council’s health scrutiny select committee next Wednesday, February 10 (3pm).