People in Cornwall urged to 'work together' to help the NHS

Ambulances have regularly been seen queuing outside the Royal Cornwall Hospital during the autumn

Health and care bosses have urged the public to help fix problems causing pressure on the NHS, as it "prepares for a surge in Covid cases".

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Health and Care Partnership released an "open letter" to the people of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, listing actions people should take.

They included helping loved ones leave hospital, getting a Covid-19 jab and avoiding "reckless drinking".

Leaders said people must work together.

A spokesperson for the partnership said: "We are all in the unprecedented circumstances of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic with its new Omicron variant.

"There is high demand for all services, and we are preparing for an anticipated surge in Covid-19 cases."

The covid booster programme was rolled out to the over 30s last week

The partnership, which includes local NHS trusts, care and public health leaders, said by the end of December it expected to have vaccinated 172,000 people - around 9,000 people a day.

It thanked people for responding to pressures on services in 2021 and urged everyone to "continue to help us, to help you".

"In recent days we have seen many ambulances queuing and unable to unload patients causing delays in response time to 999 calls," they said.

"There have been many people in hospital beds who are waiting for care to be arranged in their own or care homes and we have a lot of people waiting in the emergency department for hospital beds - which is the reason the ambulances can't unload their patients.

The partnership described it as a "vicious circle" but said it can be fixed if people follow advice.

Advice issued by Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Health and Care Partnership

• Support loved ones to leave hospital

• Only visit the emergency department or call 999 for life-threatening conditions, otherwise use GP surgeries, pharmacies and NHS 111

• Get a covid-19 jab or booster if eligible

• Look after your mental health - Cornwall's mental health response line is available all day free

• Do not add to the NHS' burden by drinking alcohol recklessly