Care in Crisis’ Alert : 100 days and counting – £1 Billion Black Hole in Funding
As the first Tory government in 18 years passes its first 100 day milestone, The National Care Association asks how high on the agenda is the crisis in care funding; in view of the July Budget imposing further costs of circa £1bn plus on this already fragile sector?
Deep seated social problems that can’t be ignored!
- CRITICAL £330m FUNDING SHORTFALL FOR CARE BEDS: rising to £1bn extra by 2020.
- NHS BED BLOCKING CRISIS: 100,000 shortage in care home beds predicted by 2020.
- FUNDING GAP WIDENING ANNUALLY by £700m for adult social care (£4.3billion by 2020).
- NEW NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE IMPOSES OVER £1 BILLION on care sector already at risk.
- IRREPLACEABLE ESSENTIAL SERVICE UNDER THREAT: care workers’ jobs on the line.
National Care Association Chairman, Nadra Ahmed OBE argues that the facts speak for themselves, ‘Chronic underfunding of care home placements by Local Authorities is pushing some care providers towards the exit door. With many businesses becoming unsustainable, owners may well choose to sell up, which will add to the already projected care home beds shortage. We have to bear in mind that social care is an integral part of the stability of the NHS. In the event of further care beds being lost in the community, commissioners will be unable to get the care home places they need and will have no option but to utilize hospital accommodation at a greater cost to the public purse and to the detriment of the acute role of hospitals.’
Based on projected real-terms cuts to adult social care budgets, it is estimated that the UK will face a 100,000 shortage in care home beds by 2020 because of council cuts and the demographic around the ageing society. This estimate is based on an 81,000 gap between the need for and availability of beds, and demographic pressures, which it is estimated would add a further 18,000 to the gap.
