More Cornwall care workers in £7m push to ease bed-blocking

Cornwall Council said it would be working closely with NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board to implement the plans

More care workers will be taken on in a £7m campaign to speed up the discharge of patients from hospitals in Cornwall.

The plans also include increasing pay for care workers and the number of beds for dementia patients.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Joint Health and Wellbeing Board said new technology would also allow patients to live more independently at home.

The funding was announced by the government in December as part of a £500m drive to ease bed-blocking.

Cornwall Council said it would be working closely with NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board to implement the changes.

Cornwall's health and care system declared a critical incident in December and said delays in getting medically fit people out of hospital were a large part of the problem.

"It's imperative that we work with our partners to get people out of hospital as soon as they are able to be safely discharged home," said Andy Virr, Cornwall Council's lead member on adult social care and health.

"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."