Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Clinch National Gold for Excellence in Healthcare

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have won national recognition for their outstanding healthcare services, taking home the ‘Excellence in Healthcare’ award at the prestigious NHS Parliamentary Awards. This award celebrates the collaborative efforts of local health, care, and community services working together to provide better care for residents.

A Collaborative Approach to Healthcare

The winning approach, which integrates NHS teams with social care services and voluntary organisations, has been instrumental in supporting people across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. These collaborative efforts aim to keep residents healthy in their own homes, prevent hospital admissions, and support quicker discharges for those who have been hospitalised.

John Govett, Chair of NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, expressed his pride in the achievement, saying, “I am incredibly proud of our collaborative work here in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and delighted that it is receiving the national recognition it so richly deserves. We will continue working together as one system to increase our support for people to have the care they need in the comfort and safety of their own homes.”

Key services include the Community Gateway helpline, which handled 48,000 calls and provided 7,000 personalised support plans in a single year. This helpline is available 365 days a year, ensuring continuous support for residents. Additionally, the region boasts a network of over 50 community hubs that have supported around one in four people in Cornwall.

Local Leaders Celebrate the Win

Kate Shields, Chief Executive Officer of NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, shared her enthusiasm for the win. “I am absolutely delighted and proud of our win in the ‘Excellence in Healthcare’ Parliamentary Award, which celebrates the collaborative approach between NHS, social care teams, community and voluntary partners and provides well-deserved recognition for the amazing teams who put local people’s needs at the heart of the services they deliver every day.”

Shields also highlighted the region’s commitment to providing personalised care, noting, “We are committed to making personalised care the universal model for how we provide health and care services across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and I look forward to seeing this award-winning approach flourish across our work in the future.”

Ian Jones MBE, Chief Executive of Volunteer Cornwall, also praised the achievement, stating, “To win the national NHS Parliamentary Award is incredible. The work in Cornwall by teams across the public and voluntary sector is starting to be truly transformative. We are working together to meet people’s needs and to support their aspirations. The task now is to keep this change and improvement going.”

Personalised Support in Action

The collaborative approach has already had a profound impact on the lives of local residents. Penhallow ‘Home from Home’ offers step-down care for people leaving hospital, while the Home Together Reablement Collaborative supports around 56 people each week as they transition back home from hospital.

Local residents have shared their stories of how these services have helped them. James, who suffered a stroke, received vital transport assistance to attend his appointments. Margaret, after a hospital stay, was provided with help for food shopping, and Bill, following the loss of his wife, was introduced to his local community hub.

Emma Rowse, Chief Executive of Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum, emphasised the importance of collaboration in delivering these services: “This award is a testament to the power of collaboration. As a voluntary and community sector, we know we’re able to deliver the best services when we work together and that also means working in partnership with our commissioners.”

Jane Johnson MBE, Chief Executive of disAbility Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, also commented on the recognition: “We are thrilled with the recognition for this incredible programme of work, which sees providers transcending boundaries to align their services for seamless provision, ensuring people receive the right support, in the right place and at the right time.”

A Model for the Future

Earlier this year, when Cornwall and Isles of Scilly won the regional award, the judges praised the region’s innovative healthcare model, stating that it demonstrates “the huge potential of integrating community support into health and care services.” They also commended the collaboration between over 60 voluntary organisations, which has already helped tens of thousands of people across Cornwall to stay well and get home sooner after hospital treatment.

As the region continues to improve healthcare services, this recognition sets a high standard for the future.