More than �18m of health funds are to be transferred to local authorities in the Norfolk and Waveney area to help keep people out of hospital.

The money includes nearly �10m for Norfolk and �2.6m for Great Yarmouth and Waveney to be spent on ensuring that existing help, such as prevention services and crisis responses services, is not axed due to the significant pressures on county halls.

Another �2.6m will be ploughed into helping people get people back to fitness once they leave hospital and it will mean the Norfolk First Support, Swifts and Night Owls services can continue, although there is scope to combine these with NHS re-ablement services and to make efficiencies.

Across Norfolk and Waveney, more than �200,000 will go towards dementia care, including continued support from dementia advisors and memory support services.

Another �3m is to be spent on easing winter pressures, with most of it to be spent on social care packages that will prevent hospital admissions and help GPs and health staff to get people out of hospital quicker by ensuring the right support is there for them in the community.

NHS Norfolk and Waveney was given the funds by the Department of Health so that it can be spent on social care that takes the pressure off health services.

At a meeting this week, the PCT board agreed to a plan on how the money should spent, and to now transfer the funds to Norfolk and Suffolk's county councils.

Harper Brown, the PCT's director of out of hospitals care, said: 'I think we are pretty joined up as far as health and social care is concerned.'

He added: 'County councils have seen reductions of 25pc so some of the money will be going to maintain services, but we are trying to get more added value out of the money by working closer together.'