Dire Warning Over Future For Care Providers Post No-Deal Brexit
Dire warnings over the possible future of social care after a no-deal Brexit must force the Government to act now, providers said today.
A leaked Cabinet dossier, known as Operation Yellowhammer, reportedly warns that a rise in costs, particularly inflation, could damage the care of older and vulnerable people.
It warns that increased inflation would ramp up staffing and supply costs and may lead to provider failure with smaller providers hit within two to three months and larger providers four to six months after a no-deal Brexit.
The Independent Care Group (ICG) today said this worst-case scenario document provided yet more evidence of the urgent need to tackle the social care crisis immediately.
“The Group’s Chair, Mike Padgham, said: “Social care is already in crisis with 1.4m people living without the care they need and providers failing. This latest document about the time after a no-deal Brexit warns, potentially, of even worse to come.
“The whole sector needs urgent help, with smaller providers likely to be hit hardest and therefore in greatest need of support. We can no longer wait for the always delayed Green Paper, we have to take steps now to avert what might lay ahead. Social care must be a top priority.”
The ICG says making social care zero rated for VAT would be a good first step to aid providers in dealing with any rising costs.
“Altering VAT would be a start and then we have to very quickly get more funding into social care to avert a disaster brought about through fewer and fewer providers being able to cope with increasing demand,” Mr Padgham.
He supported the call to recall Parliament to deal with Brexit and with social care.
“This crisis grows deeper by the day and we cannot wait around any longer whilst people live without the care they need,” he added.
The ICG has written to the Prime Minister inviting him to visit social care providers on the frontline at its base in North Yorkshire to see the challenges facing the sector. It is calling for urgent action to be taken straight away to get extra funding into social care, even if that is before the publication of the long-delayed Green Paper. It argues that there is a human case and an economic case for supporting social care. Support for social care eases pressure on the NHS by keeping people out of costly NHS hospital beds. The sector employs 1.62m – more than the NHS – and contributes £40.5bn to the economy.
The ICG says the past 17 years has seen 13 documents – four independent reviews/commissions, four consultations and five white and green papers on care. It argues that action, rather than further discussion, is now overdue.
