SOMERSET County Council’s adult social care teams are stepping up to help address the pressures facing health services across the County.

Extra social workers have been placed in hospitals since November and are working seven days a week alongside health colleagues and families to discharge patients.

Earlier this week, on one day alone, 50 patients were discharged from Somerset’s hospitals either back to their own homes or into residential or nursing homes.

This winter has seen unprecedented pressures on the whole health and social care system.

The numbers of people seeking social care support for discharge from the county’s hospitals was almost 30% higher in December 2014 than the year before.

Cllr William Wallace, Somerset County Council’s cabinet member for adult social care, said: “We are putting in extra resources and have really stepped up our work with health colleagues and care providers.

“These are challenging times for the whole system and everyone is working closely together to cope with it.”