Health & Social Care
Everything you ever wanted to know about the immediate future of Cornwall’s health service, but were afraid to ask
Regular readers of Cornwall Reports will know that for more than a year, a revolution has been underway in Cornwall's health service. New readers have asked for a catch-upWhat...
Cornwall’s new Accountable Care Organisation is ready for take-off: just sign on the dotted line for a completely new way to good health and a balanced budget
4th December 2017By Graham SmithThe board of NHS Kernow will tomorrow (Tuesday) be asked to endorse the heads of agreement for setting up Cornwall’s “Accountable Care System” – which...
The “not fit for purpose” verdict comes back to haunt Cornwall Council’s ambition for NHS takeover
3rd December 2017By Graham SmithCornwall Council’s plans to run large parts of the National Health Service could be derailed by the council’s own assessment of those plans, in a...
Cornwall’s go-it-alone Health Service – here’s the plan
1st December 2017By Graham SmithPlans are underway for the first of Cornwall Council’s “inquiry panel” hearings to break free from the National Health Service and set up an Accountable...
Cornwall’s DIY Health Service – an expert writes
1st December 2017By Graham SmithAllyson Pollock is a member of the British Medical Association’s council, and is one of a group of professional medical experts challenging Health Secretary Jeremy...
Fresh ideas for Edward Hain building at St Ives, as councillors call for a new, purpose-built hospital in West Cornwall
30th November 2017By Graham SmithThe chance of the Edward Hain hospital in St Ives ever re-opening as a facility to provide community beds has been dealt a blow by...
Cornwall’s hospital bosses head to London for showdown meeting with the minister
30th November 2017By Graham SmithA high-powered delegation of Cornwall’s health and council chiefs are on their way to London today (Thursday) for a make-or-break meeting with health minister Philip...
The final countdown: a timetable for Cornwall’s exit from the National Health Service
By Graham SmithCornwall’s 70-year membership of the National Health Service now has an end date – 7th February 2018.That is when Cornwall Council’s Liberal Democrat-led cabinet is due to...
Cornwall officials’ plan for a New Model Health Service may be illegal
28th November 2017By Graham SmithThe “Accountable Care System” which might soon replace Cornwall’s National Health Service could be illegal, according to a leading law firm which is seeking a...
Patients return to Launceston hospital after £440,000 repairs and improvements
24th November 2017By Peter TremaynePatients have returned to Launceston Hospital as a major building improvement programme nears completion.Beds at the facility were closed in September to allow NHS Property...
New group set up to study St Ives health facilities – including Edward Hain hospital
23rd November 2017By Anne NorthA new working group has been set up to consider the future of health services in St Ives – including the town’s Edward Hain hospital.The...
Cornwall Housing tenants warned to expect changes, in “one size fits all” drive for consistency
22nd November 2017By Julia PenhaligonMore than 10,500 Cornwall Housing tenants are bracing themselves for significant changes to their rents and service charges – which could be exacerbated by the...
Cornwall’s countdown to NHS revolution is now well underway
22nd November 2017By Anne NorthThe future of Cornwall’s health service could soon be in the hands of just five local councillors, as radical reforms of the NHS gather pace.Plans...
Ambulance crews call on their boss to quit
21st November 2017By Peter TremayneSouth West ambulance crews have written an open letter to their boss calling on him to resign.The ambulance workers, members of the GMB union, want...
Cornwall’s council tax to rise 5%, despite £75 million cuts and more job losses
16th November 2017By Peter TremayneCouncil tax in Cornwall is set to rise by nearly 5% next year, due mostly to the need to find more cash for the elderly...
EXCLUSIVE: Cornwall’s new out-of-hours GP contract changes hands, with no public consultation, just weeks before it is due to start
16th November 2017By Graham SmithThe “inadequate” company which is due to run Cornwall’s urgent out-of-hours GP service next month has been taken over by another private firm.The Somerset-based company...
Cornwall waits, as Supreme Court rules that minimum pricing for alcohol is lawful in Scotland
15th November 2017By Julia PenhaligonThe chance of Cornwall setting its own minimum price for alcohol has come a step closer this morning (Wednesday) after a landmark Supreme Court ruling.A...
Cornwall asks to set its own prices for alcohol, as part of wide-ranging bid for health devolution
3rd November 2017By Graham SmithCornwall could get the chance to devise its own alcohol pricing policy, if the government agrees to a set of proposals for devolving more power...
Cornwall’s foodbanks braced for arrival of Universal Credit
30th October 2017By Julia PenhaligonThousands of people in Cornwall are bracing themselves for the introduction of Universal Credit, the controversial new benefit which replaces many aspects of the traditional...
The remarkable inside story of how the NHS tried, and failed, to sell Launceston hospital land
23rd October 2017By Graham SmithCornwall Reports has now obtained the detailed timeline of who-knew-what-and-when in relation to the botched sale of NHS land next to Launceston hospital.It reveals the...