Hospital beds and social care: "The NHS will not be able to care properly for the growing population of frail older people unless the availability of social care increases in line with rising need."

A purpose of the proposed changes in local health provision is to balance care between hospitals and the home:
Futures Forum: The future of Sidmouth's hospital > consultation started >>> "We need to shift our resources and focus from hospital beds to the care surrounding our patients in their own homes."

However, a report just out says that the social care system is not coping:
State of Care report warns adult social care is approaching a tipping point | Care Quality Commission

ITV looks at the report:

Social care system near 'tipping point', care watchdog warns

Britain's social care system is near 'tipping point' according to the CQC. Credit: Daniel Karmann / PA Images

1. ITV REPORT
 

13 October 2016
Britain's social care system is near "tipping point", according to health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC has called for "urgent action" to tackle the issues, including an injection of funding into the care system.

In its annual assessment of care in England, the watchdog said that despite a 33% rise in the number of people aged 85 and over in the last decade, the proportion of people receiving local authority-funded care had reduced. It said the number of beds in nursing homes was not increasing in line with demand and care home providers were pulling out of local authority contracts as funding did not cover the costs of care. The CQC warned that the social care crisis was also putting increasing pressure on hospitals especially A&E departments.

"What's happening, we think, is that where people aren't getting access to care, and we are not preventing people's needs developing through adult social care, is that they are presenting at A&E. Emergency admissions of older people are increasing and we also know that the number of delayed bed days in hospital are increasing. We think more resources need to be made available to adult social care. That will help people in adult social care and it will also improve the impact it is having on the system. Without urgent action being taken, we are concerned that there will be more people whose needs aren't being met, that improvement in adult social care will be harder to make and there is a risk that more services will deteriorate." – CQC CHIEF EXECUTIVE DAVID BEHAN

The quality of care people received from health and care services in England varied considerably, the report added. Overall, three in five hospital trusts have been told they need to make improvements - with particular problems being highlighted in medical services and accident and emergency departments. And 81% of acute NHS trusts are rated as either inadequate or requiring improvement in terms of safety.

Margaret Willcox, vice-president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, said: "We are at a tipping point where social care is in jeopardy and unless the Government addresses the underfunding of the sector, there will be worrying consequences for the care market, the NHS and, most importantly, for older and disabled people, their families and carers."

An NHS England spokesperson, said: "This report confirms exactly what the Forward View said, that the NHS will not be able to care properly for the growing population of frail older people unless the availability of social care increases in line with rising need."

Social care system near 'tipping point', care watchdog warns - ITV News
Social care cuts take English service to tipping point, regulator warns | Society | The Guardian

Meanwhile, a Parliamentary paper considers the options:
PF Perspectives: experts say health and social care needs urgent and radical reform | Public Finance
Health and social care relationship – too broken to fix? | East Devon Watch

And East Devon's MP comments on the issues:
BLOG: hospital beds and social care | Hugo Swire
Swire on health and social care | East Devon Watch
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