We must transform caring into a career ... and inject £ 7billion
A £ 7BILLION injection and a 10- year plan are needed to make Britain’s social care sector fit for purpose, an expert has revealed.
The Daily Express is fighting a “time to end the social care scandal” crusade, demanding that the elderly are not forced to sell their homes to fund their care.
Now Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, says the Government has thrown “all resources at the NHS” during the pandemic – and left social care “out in the cold”.
He has urged ministers to consider his big money long- term plan for the adult social care system, helping it to integrate with the health system for the benefit of all.
Care England represents 3,800 care homes and is the leading representative body for small, medium and large providers.
Prof Green said: “Such a plan could mirror the NHS’s plans and enable career progression, showing care to be a profession rather than a job.”
Prof Green also claimed that NHS red tape was holding back care homes trying to reform the system.
He said: “I’m fed up with colleagues in officialdom telling me what can’t be done. I hope 2021 is the year when process is replaced by outcomes.
“For too long we have operated in a vacuum.
“This dreadful pandemic has demonstrated the lack of joinedup systems and I want t to reclaim the term integra- ation with a new vision n for adult social care.
“When I fly, I don’t know – nor do I need to know – which air space I am passing through, how my bags are being transported or which provider my meal comes from.
“All I know is that I pass f from A to B with relative ease and comfort.
“This should be the same in the health and social care system. They cannot operate in isolation.
“Care providers have an amazing amount of creativity but bureaucracy sometimes thwarts their ambiti tions. By throwing all re resources at the NHS an and leaving social care out in the cold, mistakes have been made.
“We cannot afford such mistakes i k to occur again, ever.” He added: “This dreadful pandemic has shone a light on the adult social care sector.
“For all our sakes, in 2021, we need people to finally get to grips with the issues.”
Last October we revealed how Department of Health data showed 17,000 pensioners were forced to sell their homes to pay care costs in 2019. As many as 330 homeowners a week put their homes on the market to fund a place in a care home.
The rising cost of residential care is now more than £ 33,000 a year.
But anyone with more than £ 23,250, including their home’s value, is denied state help. This newspaper believes that is unacceptable.
Prof Green’s comments come after a cross- party group of MPs called for an urgent rgent cash injection into England’s social care system.
The Health and Social Care Select Committee said the full cost of adequately funding social care was likely to be tens of billions of pounds but this was essential if society was to look after the most vulnerable.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “We are committed to sustainable improvement of the adult social care system and will bring forward proposals next year.”