Thinktanks highlight 'critical' state of social care
08 November 2016
- Leading health charities have urged the government to tackle a £1.9bn social care funding gap, ahead of the autumn statement
- The King's Fund, Nuffield Trust and The Health Foundation say funding cuts and rising demand have left social care in a "critical" state
- We have argued that social care should be the number one priority of any extra funding to come out of the autumn statement
The briefing calls on the government to recognise the immediate funding pressures facing the sector by bringing forward to next year funding from the better care fund which is planned to reach £1.5bn in 2019/20. It also makes clear that the NHS funding settlement will need to be revisited in future financial statements.
The thinktanks say funding cuts and rising demand have left social care in a "critical" state. They warn unless there is urgent action thousands of older and disabled people will not be able to access the care they need.
NHS Providers director of policy and strategy, Saffron Cordery, said:
“We have argued, along with the health committee, that social care should be the number one priority of any extra funding to come out of the autumn statement. Where additional funding is not being made available, practical solutions will be needed, including bringing forward to next year the additional funding to be provided from the better care fund, amounting to £1.5bn. Today’s funding levels will not be enough to maintain current services against rising demand, let alone improve them.
Today’s funding levels will not be enough to maintain current services against rising demand, let alone improve them
“The impact on funding for social care has a dramatic influence on the NHS’s ability to halt and reduce the year on year rise in the numbers of people attending A&E, as well as its ability to reduce delayed transfers and get people out of hospital who are medically fit to leave.”
NHS Providers will shortly be publishing its key recommendations on how the government can address the funding challenges facing both the NHS and social care system. These formed the organisation’s written submission to the autumn statement in October.