It has declares a Critical Incident to help improve flow from hospitals.
Cornwall Council has joined the NHS in declaring a critical incident over ongoing service pressures.
The council announced yesterday that it would declare a Critical Incident in adult social care to help alleviate pressure on hospitals and improve service capacity.
Cornwall Council says it will work with its 70 commissioned homecare providers and 222 care homes to provide support for around 180 people who have finished their hospital treatment, as well as helping support others in the community who are waiting for care packages.
It also plans to “repurpose” some care services for younger adults to meet the needs of older adults.
Council staff could potentially be redeployed into different roles to support social care, as well as asking the voluntary sector to mobilise all its available resources, to support efforts to free up 100 beds within two weeks.
A perfect storm.
The news comes as all sectors of the health and social care system struggle with a “perfect storm” of rising patient demand and staff shortages.
Cllr Andy Virr, Cabinet Member for Care and Wellbeing said: “These extraordinary circumstances require a different level of response in our care system, which is currently unable to meet demand – particularly for hospital discharges.
“This approach will see us work as one system, sharing risk in order to meet these increased demands, and I’d like to say a big thank you to those families and service users who are helping support us in this.
“And if you have a friend or neighbour who was recently discharged from hospital please consider how you might be able to help in their recovery. It can be something as simple as running an errand or making a phone call to check they’re OK. These small acts of kindness can make all the difference.”
