Boris must fix the social care crisis, say medics
TWELVE of the UK’s most respected medical professionals and clinicians have demanded the Prime Minister keeps his election promise to sort out the social care crisis.
The dire warning came in a letter to Boris Johnson and is the clearest sign yet that fear of a second Covid wave is growing.
It was sent yesterday, more than a year after Mr Johnson stood on the steps of Downing Street and promised to fix social care “once and for all”.
Signed by members of the Health for Care coalition, chaired by the NHS Confederation, the letter said: “With the potential of a second wave, localised outbreaks, and the challenges of winter ahead, we are now gravely concerned about the ability of social care services to cope.
“These difficulties will be compounded by the need to simultaneously provide care and rehabilitation to patients suffering from the longterm effects of Covid-19 and those who have not had [Covid] but have experienced a decline in health as a result of shielding during lockdown.”
Frustration at the lack of Government action to fix the crisis comes after 13 documents during the past 17 years have promised social care reform.
The majority of people using social care have dementia and the impact on the NHS is huge.
Niall Dickson, chair of the Health for Care coalition, said: “Covid-19 has highlighted the critical role social care plays in supporting the NHS, but it has also exposed a fractured, understaffed and underfunded system in desperate need of reform.
“Social care services urgently need immediate funding to deal with the aftermath of the pandemic and to prepare for the possibility of further localised outbreaks, as well as a long-term plan.”
Latest figures show more than 50,000 patients had been waiting
more than a year for their operations, compared with fewer than 2,000 in February.
Estimates suggest the waiting list for routine procedures could be as high as 10 million by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the number set to be
struck down with dementia is expected to double to two million in just 30 years.
Kate Lee, chief executive at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Coronavirus has provided a sobering wake-up call for just how poor a relation social care is to the NHS –
clearly exposing the deep-rooted cracks in our care system.”
The Department for Health and Social Care said: “We are committed to bringing forward a plan that puts social care on a sustainable footing to ensure the reforms will last long into the future.”