More than a thousand people in social care backlog in Cornwall

Delays in care packages are blocking the discharge of patients from hospitals

More than a thousand people in Cornwall are awaiting assessment for adult social care.

Pressure on the county's health and social care system has been exacerbated by delays to the care packages which enable fit patients to leave hospital.

There are now 1,069 people waiting to be assessed, Cornwall Council said.

Cornwall's cabinet member for social care, Andy Virr, said there was pressure "across all parts" of the healthcare system.

In October, a home assessment programme was introduced to ease bed-blocking, while some patients have been moved to a care hotel.

But Mr Virr, who is also a consultant at Royal Cornwall Hospital, said despite this, the number of people awaiting assessment had increased by 100 "in the last few weeks alone".

He said a further 109 people who had been assessed were at home without care or support and waiting for services, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

And 546 people were waiting for a change in provision or setting, according to his update to the council's health and adult social care overview and scrutiny committee.

'Extreme challenge'

Mr Virr wrote: "Throughout December the care and health system has been under extreme challenge with pressures across all parts of our system with an increase in demand.

"This is primarily associated with the significant numbers of people we have supported to leave hospital and now waiting for their care act needs assessment in a place of safety."

The Department for Health and Social Care said up to £7.5bn, equating to 200,000 care packages, would support social care and speed up patient discharge from hospital over the next two years.

A further £500m would speed up patient discharge from hospital, with £200m allocated to extra beds in care homes and other settings, it said.

It said local areas "will determine how they spend their allocations".