The future of health and social care services in the Saltash area will be discussed at a workshop on Thursday (August 15).
It is the third in a series of workshops between the NHS, Cornwall Council, local people and their representatives and will be held at the Guildhall in Saltash.
The meetings are focused on identifying what health and social care services local people believe their 16,000 strong community need both now and in the longer-term to help people live healthy, independent lives for as long as possible.
The work is part of a series of community engagement events which are being led by NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group in Saltash, Fowey and St Ives.
’So far, people have discussed the issues and opportunities specific to their local area which included lack of transport links, people wanting to receive care and support in, or close to their own homes and the challenges of recruiting and retaining sufficient health and care staff,’ said Kate Mitchell, programme lead at NHS Kernow.
’In response to what people have told us so far, we are exploring how we can spot purchase care home beds, introduce more social prescribing, provide more day case provision in the local area and consider what the local population needs are for providing accommodation with care such as extra care housing.’
The work with the community in Saltash and neighbouring areas came about after the minor injury unit and inpatient beds at St Barnabas Community Hospital were consolidated into Liskeard Community Hospital. The decision was taken by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CFT), who provides services from the hospital, to enable it to concentrate staffing into the larger hospital in February 2017.
Since then, a minor injury service has been provided from both GP surgeries in Saltash during their normal opening hours.