More help at home as local care services continue to improve

Wirral Council and the NHS are working together to help more people stay independent at home and leave hospital sooner, with new plans set to build on progress already being made across local health and care services.

A report on this work is due to be presented to the council’s Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee on 9 June 2026. The update looks at how the authority and local health providers are working in partnership to improve care for residents, following a recent review to make sure services are effective and focused on helping people stay independent.

The Better Care Fund is shared funding between Wirral Council and the NHS. For the year ahead, around £72.4 million has been brought together from both organisations to support services across Wirral. This includes help at home, support for people leaving hospital, urgent community response services, short-term rehabilitation, support for carers, and equipment or home adaptations to help people live safely and independently.

The latest update shows positive progress. Fewer people are staying in hospital longer than they need to, as more support is in place to help them return home at the right time. This means people can recover in a more comfortable place, while also helping hospitals care for those who need it most.

Councillors will also hear that there has been strong progress in community support. Services are helping people stay independent for longer, with care provided at home or close to where they live. This includes short-term support to help people regain skills after illness, as well as ongoing care and support for carers.

Some of the key ways this is helping residents include:

• More people being supported to leave hospital safely and sooner
• Community services continuing to meet demand, so people can get help at home when they need it
• More people supported with equipment and home adaptations to live safely and independently

There are also examples of services making a real difference. Specialist care beds are helping people regain their strength before returning home, while teams working across hospital and community services are supporting people to move quickly onto the right care. “Home First” services mean people can be assessed and supported in their own homes, rather than staying in hospital any longer than necessary.

Building on this progress, plans for the year ahead will continue to strengthen community support, expand care at home, and focus even more on preventing people from becoming unwell in the first place. Work will also continue to make sure services are well planned and able to meet the needs of local residents.

Together, this ongoing work will help more people in Wirral stay independent, get the support they need sooner, and live well in their own communities.