'Struggling to Help Mitigate Growing Demand on NHS'

Underfunding in adult social care is significantly contributing to the crisis within the NHS says the Local Government Association (LGA)

While the government has announced additional funding toward social care to help alleviate NHS pressures this fall significantly short LGA say of £13 billion needed to help towards a sustainable NHS

Cllr David Fothergill Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board said Councils care providers hospitals and wider health services are together working incredibly hard during this hugely challenging winter to get people discharged from hospital and home with the correct support as soon as they can However, this process is increasingly difficult with rising demand for social care and community health care workforce shortages and budgets under significant pressure A sustainable NHS depends on a sustainable social care sys- tem Instead, the social care system is suffering from long-term underfunding and high vacancy levels across the workforce inevitably impacting on social care’s ability to help mitigate the demand facing the NHS – whether that s supporting people out of hospital or preventing their admission in the first place Additional investment in community health services including therapies that can support recovery is also urgently needed

“Recent additional funding announced by the Government for adult social care is a step forward but falls significantly short of the £13 billion we have called for to address the severity of the pressure facing social care services Comprehensive funding of adult social care will not only alleviate pressure on the NHS but will mean thousands of people are able to live an equal life and are less likely to end up in hospital at all