NHS Plan Will See Funds Allocated “More Effectively” To Social Care, Health Secretary Says
The government has outlined plans to integrate social care more effectively within the healthcare system to enhance patient outcomes and improve value for money.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has highlighted the importance of allocating NHS resources strategically, ensuring that social care services play a greater role in supporting individuals who no longer require hospital treatment.
Currently, social care is primarily funded by local councils. However, delays in arranging suitable care options often result in thousands of people remaining in hospital beds despite being medically fit for discharge. This contributes to additional strain on NHS services, with an estimated one in seven hospital beds occupied by individuals who could be cared for elsewhere.
Challenges such as securing placements in residential care homes, arranging community support, and facilitating rehabilitation services often hinder timely patient discharges. The knock-on effect of inadequate social care provision can lead to increased hospital admissions and greater demand for GP services, further burdening the NHS.
Speaking on the BBC’s Panorama programme, Mr Streeting expressed his commitment to enhancing social care provision, stating:
“I want to direct more NHS resources through social care because it leads to better outcomes for patients and represents better value for taxpayers.”
While specific funding details have yet to be confirmed, the Health Secretary indicated that a long-term strategy would incorporate both NHS and social care services, ensuring a more cohesive approach to patient support.
He emphasised that financial investment alone is not the solution, stating: “You can’t just keep pouring increasing amounts of taxpayers’ money into a system that isn’t structured to use it efficiently. The system itself needs to change.”
The forthcoming 10-year health plan is expected to address these concerns, focusing on ways to improve collaboration between health and social care services. This initiative aims to enhance patient well-being, reduce hospital overcrowding, and create a more sustainable healthcare system for the future.
Dr Nichola Stefanou, Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Management Trust, said:
“Social care is not merely complementary to the NHS, it is the foundation and the key to its success. Social care in in many guises provides services as vital as those contained within the NHS and enables so many of us to live better lives with improved health outcomes. Without proper funding, and a clear plan for reform, both systems will fail, with patients, communities and smaller providers bearing the burden”
“The imbalance between NHS and social care funding creates a system that undermines itself. Investing heavily in acute services without corresponding support for social care will not allow the NHS to operate efficiently. Social care, when properly resourced, provides reablement and rehabilitation that keeps patients healthy and at home, reducing hospital admissions, ensuring appropriate bed flow and freeing up NHS resources for critical care.”
“But instead, currently, we have a system that is at the mercy of increased national insurance costs and unreliable funding from local authorities through contract uplifts, which will undoubtedly be fatal to many small providers.”
“A reallocation of funding to give better support to social care services is therefore welcomed. It will enable us to increase the capacity and quality of social care, so patients can remain in their communities, reducing hospital admissions and allowing individuals to access care within a home-based environment. However, the key is to ensure there is enough funding to go around so we will have to wait and see if this comes to fruition and makes the positive impact we so desperately need.”
