Plans to spend government funding to support people leaving hospital have been agreed.
At a meeting of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Joint Health and Wellbeing Board last month a plan on how to spend the money was discussed, with Cornwall Council working closely with NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board.
The government announced that £500m would be allocated nationally to support discharge flow through hospitals up until 31 March 2023.
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have been allocated just over £7m, with £2.3m allocated to the council and £4.7m to the NHS. There are 13 schemes in place that will look at different ways to support the health and social care system this winter.
One of the main aims will be to increase Cornwall’s care sector workforce with plans to look at increasing care home worker’s pay as well as home care worker pay and investing in the Proud To Care Cornwall recruitment drive. This is all aimed at making sure more people are attracted in the care workforce, as well as making sure people already in post feel valued.
More investment will also be made into the increased use of Technology Enabled Care and equipment that will allow people to live more independently at home.
There are a range of other schemes too that will look at increasing dementia bed capacity, investment into more reablement services so that people get back on their feet quicker after an illness or fall, and providing increased capacity to the teams in charge of allocating the care that is needed.
Lead Cabinet member for adult social care and health Cllr Andy Virr said:
“This funding comes at a crucial time for Cornwall. It’s imperative that we work with our partners to get people out of hospital as soon as they able to be safely discharged home. These schemes will make sure that both the Council and NHS are able to find the care packages that people so desperately need to help alleviate pressure on our hospitals.”
He added: “We’ve been facing some significant system pressures for a long while now and although this funding is extremely welcome we’re looking forward to hearing more about long term funding for adult social care.”
Chief Executive of NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care System, Kate Shields, said:
“As Cornwall’s health and care system remains under pressure, our frontline teams are working tirelessly to get people home from hospital as quickly and as safely as possible.
“The latest funding means we can deliver a raft of additional schemes, including extra reablement capacity and booking more care home beds across Cornwall to help families get their loved ones back home quicker.
“The investment will help us to continue our important work to ensure the health and wellbeing of people across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly”.
Work is already underway on the various schemes. They are reported on back to the government on a regular basis to ensure that the agreed outcomes are met.
There is more information on the plans on Cornwall Council’s website
