The Saltash community services project covers the following three GP surgeries, which have a registered population of 23,600 people:
- Port View Surgery
- Quay Lane
- Saltash Health Centre
St Barnabas Community Hospital is owned by NHS Property Services, and leased to Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CFT), which provides adult community services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The hospital’s minor injury unit (MIU) closed in December 2016 to focus staff onto the inpatient wards. The unit was staffed by nurses from the ward. There were 455 attendances at the MIU in the 12 months before it closed.
In February 2017 the inpatient beds were temporarily closed to support safe staffing levels at Liskeard Hospital. In the previous 12 months, 209 people were admitted to an inpatient bed at St Barnabas.
What’s happened since?
The NHS has been meeting regularly with a group of local people which include Cornwall Council and town councillors, patient representatives, GPs, the League of Friends and other NHS organisations. Together they have been looking at the needs of the community and how services can respond to those needs. These meetings are continuing.
Relocation of community teams
Last summer a number of community teams including health visitors, school nurses and speech and language therapists moved into St Barnabas. Some had previously been located in the GP surgery. This allowed some development work to be undertaken at the surgery. This means that there are more than 70 staff members from across children’s and adult’s community teams who are working from St Barnabas Hospital. That has helped to improve communications and coordination of care across teams and organisations. Regular clinics continue to be run at St Barnabas-both community clinics such as physiotherapy and respiratory, as well as consultant-led clinics from University Hospital Plymouth.
What’s happening now?
In October, 2017, more than 719 years of community experience were brought together at a workshop in Saltash Guildhall. This involved the NHS, charities and voluntary organisations. The aim was to offer lstaff an opportunity to hear about each other’s work and to build on developing positive working relationships to promote improved communication and coordination of care across teams and services.
The event was used to discuss examples of individuals who had complex care needs to consider how working differently and creating broader solutions in the wider community may help to deliver improved care and support.
There was a huge amount of positive feedback from the event, especially in terms of networking and widening knowledge of the wealth of organisations available locally who can support people with physical, emotional and social needs.
Workshops
Useful documents
Workshop minutes
Videos