Intermediate care beds that stood empty for six months will now be used for patients who are well enough to be discharged from hospital but not well enough to go home.

An anonymous caller tipped off this newspaper and said two care staff were doing crossword puzzles and crafting in the unit at Doddington because they had nothing to do.

NE Cambs MP Steve Barclay stepped in and said a patient trial will now take place from November 7.

He said: “Since I discovered this summer from a whistleblower that Doddington Court was no longer treating patients despite the services still being paid for by the CCG, I have worked closely with them to see how we could get services reinstated for patients.

“I am pleased to announce patients will now be returning to Doddington Court on a trial basis.

“It made no sense on behalf of taxpayers to be paying for services we were not using. Over the last couple of months I have worked closely behind the scenes with the CCG, hospital management at Peterborough and other local health leaders to see how we can get services restored.

“This compliments the continuation of outpatient services at these sites, and the on-going work on the Minor Injury Units.”

The CCG will be starting a trial with Cambridgeshire County Council to use Doddington Court Flats for patients who are well enough to be discharged from the hospital but who are not able to be return home as care support needs to be arranged.

Mr Barclay said: “I am grateful to Dr Gary Howsam and Tracy Dowling, the chair and chief executive of the CCG, for listening to both my feedback and that of local residents at our recent public meetings and then acting on the concerns expressed.”

Last week Mr Barclay chaired a meeting at the House of Commons with Cambridgeshire health leaders together with cross party Cambridgeshire MPs.

“This meeting proved a useful way to look more holistically at how we meet the growth in demand from an older population with more complex health needs.”

He also met with Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health, to brief him on the county’s health issues including the Minor Injury Units which need flexibility on opening times rather than requiring them to open up until midnight.

He said: “I remain committed to both retaining the Minor Injury Units at Doddington, Wisbech and Ely and also co-locating other services there to address the CCG’s legitimate efficiency concerns.”