Social care boost would transform NHS for next 70 years

Properly funding social care would help transform over the next 70 years, a care leader has said.

Mike Padgham, chair of The Independent Care Group, said better support for social care would be the best present for the NHS as it celebrates its 70^th anniversary.

“The NHS is a wonderful, amazing institution, admired and envied the world over and a fundamental pillar of life in this country, doing a fantastic job for all of us,” Mike said.

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“As it celebrates 70 years, the best way to support it and help it begin the next 70 years would be to take some of the pressure off it, by reforming and better funding social care.

“The £20bn extra for the NHS recently was very welcome I’m sure but is meaningless unless it is matched by better funding for social care.

“Without extra funding in social care it will, as quoted elsewhere, be like turning on a tap without having the plug in. The NHS will get an extra £4bn a year – but it is already costing £3bn a year to keep older and vulnerable people in hospital because there is no social care available for them to be discharged.”

Mike has written five letters to Prime Minister Theresa May calling for action and repeated his invitation to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Hunt, to visit a frontline care provider.

“The reality is, the government doesn’t want to face up to a solution that will mean they have to provide more funding for social care – even though better funding for social care saves the NHS money, as older and vulnerable people should be cared for at home or in care homes and not in costly hospital beds,” he added.

“They have been promising action through the Green Paper this summer but now even that has been put back, which feels like yet another betrayal.

“I won’t give up, the Independent Care Group won’t give up and more importantly, the public mustn’t give up, pressing for a fairer deal for social care.”