West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed news that the county council will be able to access a million pound fund to help ease extra winter pressures on the care system.

The Government has awarded Worcestershire County Council £1,118,803 to help fund extra services during the winter period. The money will allow the council to commission extra services, such as care home beds or tailored care packages to help improve emergency care provision.

The fund, confirmed by Health and Care Minister, is part of a national £40 million to help councils improve services through the winter.

Harriett said:

“Each year, Worcestershire County Council works with the local NHS to try and deal with the extra pressure that are placed on services through the cold winter months.

“In recent years, the council has been able to fund blocks of care home beds to help speed up discharges from the busy Acute hospitals and improve care for people at home.

“This money will be welcome good news for the team planning its response to colder weather and the extra demand on the health system at Christmas and into January and I look forward to hearing more detail on how the council plans to allocate this cash.”