CORNWALL’S hospitals are safe and people should always attend if they need medical help, says the chief executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT).
Kate Shields said that people who were suffering serious conditions were not going to hospital as they were concerned about covid-19.
’Our hospitals are safe places to receive care and treatment when needed,’ she said.
’We know there are people not presenting with heart attacks, strokes and abdominal pain. Either it is they are frightened or didn’t want to bother us.
’We would like to encourage anybody who feels they need to be seen, they do need to present.
’They also need to see their GPs – their practices are open and are safe to attend.
’If people have family members who are vulnerable and might need help, make sure they seek care and don’t stay at home.’
Ms Shields said RCHT was also working to get services which have been suspended back up and running but this could take time.
She said: ’Getting service back to normal will not happen overnight. We are still working with covid in the community.
’We are trying to turn on our urgent services and cancer services as quickly as possible.
’We are hoping to turn all our services back on. I had an email from a gentleman waiting for a shoulder scan, those services will take longer to switch back on.
’It is great that we have moved some services off the main Treliske site, and we will keep them off the main Treliske site for now.
’We do ask people to bear with us as we try to provide for all the people in Cornwall.’
By Richard Whitehouse, local democracy reporter