Cornwall's MPs write to Health Secretary, over fund to speed up hospital discharges
They want to make sure the Duchy gets its fair share of the £500 million
Last updated 2nd Oct 2022
MPs from across Cornwall have written to new Health Secretary, Thérèse Coffey, to ensure the Duchy gets its fair share of funding from the Government's new Adult Social Care Discharge Fund.
The fund, announced as part of the new NHS Plan for Patients, will provide an extra £500m to improve patient discharge from hospitals into social care.
Cornwall's MPs have now written collectively to share the experiences of health services here and to outline why investment is urgently needed to improve adult social care discharges at the hospitals that serve Cornish residents.
They have also invited the Health Secretary to Treliske - to see and hear about the issues first hand.
MPs say these pressures have contributed to the Royal Cornwall Hospital recording some of the longest ambulance waiting times in the country.
Commenting, Member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth Cherilyn Mackrory said: "While there is a national problem in social care, the situation is much more difficult in Cornwall.
"Our county has unique challenges because of our rurality, ageing population and issues recruiting and retaining staff. These pressures have contributed to the Royal Cornwall Hospital recording some of the longest ambulance wait times in the country.
"We must tackle ambulance waiting times by supporting discharge from hospitals into our communities and bolstering the social care workforce - freeing up beds for patients who need them.
"The Government must consider the unique challenges Cornwall faces and ensure our county receives its fair share of this new funding. This will allow more patients in Cornwall who no longer require hospital care to be discharged, alleviating pressure on our hospitals and reducing ambulance waiting times.
"I look forward to working with the Government to support the delivery of the fund and welcoming our new Health Secretary to Cornwall as soon as possible".