AN acute lack of carers and residential home places in Powys has led an England-wide NHS body to release money to look after patients in Shropshire.

A report says the Welsh authority is planning to boost its own provision, but this won’t be in place until next year.

In their Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Winter Pressures Plan, NHS England (NHSE) and NHS Improvement (NHSI) say that, because of the shortfall, they have allocated funds to place Powys patients in Shropshire/Powys border provision and Shropshire Council is supporting its Welsh neighbour to “transform their services”.

The document, due to be discussed by the Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee next week, also says the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospitals experienced “sustained challenges” during November and early December, prompting more NHSE and NHSI funding.

It says: “Powys has been experiencing an acute lack of domiciliary care provision and nursing and residential home provision. They have plans to enhance the provision, but this will not bring extra capacity into the system until next year.

“Because of this, NHSI/NHSE have allocated funds to place Powys patients in Shropshire/Powys border provision, and Shropshire Local Authority have been supporting Powys with the transformation of their services.”

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust deputy chief operating officer Sara Biffen and Shropshire CCG urgent care director Claire Old will present the report to the Shropshire-wide Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee when it meets in Telford on Monday, December 16.

The report also says: “Given the sustained challenges due to the rise in demand and the age and acuity of patients admitted during November and the first week of December, NHSI/NHSE have allocated further funding to the system and further capacity has been purchased out of hospital and in hospital, and is represented in the demand and capacity numbers in this presentation.

“Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin local authorities are amongst the best in the country at placing patients who are medically fit for transfer within 48 hours of referral. This, coupled with our reduction in the long length of stays in hospital, has made the system an exemplar in the national scheme to reduce long lengths of stay.”

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet on Monday, December 16.