Caring where it matters: How we’re bringing care closer to home

Across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, we are bringing care closer to you, to help you get well sooner and stay independent in your own home.

You might be used to traditional hospital wards, but most of the time that’s not the best place to be. When we’re older we lose muscle, lose confidence and are more likely to pick up an infection if we spend a week or more in a hospital bed when we don’t need to. Sadly sometimes that means people lose their independence and never return home. That’s why the NHS is investing in more services that help keep people out of hospital or bring them home sooner.

Here are some of the services you might come across.

Our X-Ray cars may come to you if you’ve had a fall and there’s a small possibility you have a broken bone. The Rapid Falls Response Service helps people who have fallen and cannot get back up and the Right Care Car supports people with frailty or long-term conditions who need urgent intervention at home.

The Hospital at Home service provides monitoring, tests and in-person treatments for people who might previously have been treated in hospital. You get the care you need in the comfort of your own home and closer to family and friends. Ask your GP or nurse in charge of the ward if you could be cared for at home instead of in hospital.

We will soon have 3 community diagnostic centres in Cornwall – at Bodmin, Camborne and Penzance. They provide tests much closer to people’s homes, including MRI scans, X-rays and blood tests. Your GP or hospital consultant might refer you for tests.

When your own GP is closed there’s an out of hours GP service as well as a crisis line for patients at the end of life.

Primary care hubs have same-day appointments for minor illnesses such as nasty coughs, easing pressure on GP surgeries.

You might be referred by a healthcare professional to a Same Day Emergency Care Unit or Community Assessment & Treatment Unit. These provide urgent healthcare without a wait in the emergency department. They can do tests, start treatment and may get you home the same day.

The Community Gateway Service is a free helpline 01872 266383, open 8 am–8 pm daily, email: [email protected], offering tailored support and connecting you to voluntary services, mental health help, social activities, winter support and more. They’ll listen to what matters to you and what you need help with.

Community hubs are warm, welcoming places where people can get advice, make friends, have a hot meal, and try new activities. Find your nearest community hub, what’s on and opening times at www.volunteercornwall.org.uk/how-we-help/in-the-community/community-hubs.