More than 2,000 vulnerable people in Norfolk are caught in a backlog waiting to get their care needs assessed, new figures have revealed.

And just over a hundred more are not getting care needs which have been identified fully met, as Norfolk County Council continues to grapple with increasing demand for services.

However, County Hall bosses have been handed a multi-million-pound boost to help tackle the issue - and said waiting lists have been cut over the past year.

Eastern Daily Press: Norfolk County Council's County Hall headquarters in NorwichNorfolk County Council's County Hall headquarters in Norwich (Image: Mike Page)

The council was recently told it will get an extra £6.3m from the Department of Health and Social Care for 2023/24, plus £3.5m the following year, to help with pressures on adult social care.

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Members of the Conservative-controlled county council's cabinet agreed how the money will be spent at a recent meeting.

That includes increasing how much the council pays providers of supported living services and employing a contractor to carry out assessments.

Eastern Daily Press: Norfolk county councillor Shelagh GurneyNorfolk county councillor Shelagh Gurney (Image: Submitted by Shelagh Gurney)

People on the interim care list are those not getting the full care, based on their identified care and support needs, they should receive.

Shelagh Gurney, the council's deputy cabinet member for adult social care, said: “There are 105 people on our interim care list compared with a high of 1,136 people in January 2022.

"This reduction reflects a more stable care market, particularly in home care."

READ MORE: Fears quality of care for vulnerable in Norfolk way below national average

Eastern Daily Press: More than 2,000 people in Norfolk are waiting for care assessmentsMore than 2,000 people in Norfolk are waiting for care assessments (Image: PA)

Mrs Gurney added:  "We have around 2,351 people on our holding list, compared with a peak of 3,135 in September 2022.

"The holding list includes people with a range of different needs. Some of them will already have support from our staff but be waiting for some further care or support.

"The holding list is never static – new people come into the service, and others are moved through our social care teams and our staff work tirelessly to make sure people’s needs are met as quickly as possible.

“We keep the list under constant review at a senior level – always prioritising the most urgent cases.

"It is also closely monitored by councillors. The steady reduction we have seen over the last months gives confidence that our approach is sustainable."