And everyone involved seems to agree with this:
Futures Forum: The future of Sidmouth's hospital >>> "Until we can absolutely ensure that we have got social care right, we should not look at unnecessarily closing community beds that some people will have to use."
Futures Forum: The Homecare Deficit: "An admission that 'care in the community' is failing miserably – at a time when care in community hospitals is being slashed beyond the bone."
Futures Forum: "Taking money from the NHS isn't going to solve the crisis in social care"
Including East Devon's MP:
East Devon MP Sir Hugo Swire calls for increased social care funding in the region
24 November 2016 Eleanor Pipe
Concerns there will be ‘unacceptable loss of healthcare provision if hospital beds not compensated for’
East Devon’s MP called on the Government to increase social care funding in the region or risk an ‘unacceptable’ loss of healthcare provision.
Sir Hugo Swire spoke out in the House of Commons last week and raised concerns about plans to axe hospital beds without ensuring adequate measures for alternative care are in place.
He said proposals put forward by the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – which will see Sidmouth lose all of its inpatient beds – will only put the social care budget under increased strain.
Sir Hugo suggested that the only answer is an increase in the social care budget and called for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, to ‘seriously consider’ the matter before his Autumn Statement.
In a letter to Mr Hammond, Sir Hugo wrote: ‘I am not against a reconfiguration of our local NHS per se. However, I am concerned that we are putting the cart before the horse. Before removing the hospital beds, we need to ensure that the social care provision which prevents people from needing those beds in the first place is sufficient.
“As it stands at the moment, with council budgets for social care falling behind demand by £5billion nationally, I am concerned that the loss of hospital beds will not be compensated by the social care system, resulting in an overall and unacceptable loss of healthcare provision. This would be particularly damaging in East Devon, where 27.7 per cent of people are aged 65 or over compared to 17.7 per cent nationally.
‘In my opinion, the only answer to this complex issue is an increase in the social care budget which would not only be good for patients but, ultimately, reduce the pressure on the NHS budget.”
There was no mention of additional funding for social care in the Autumn Statement announced yesterday (Wednesday).
East Devon MP Sir Hugo Swire calls for increased social care funding in the region - News - Sidmouth Herald
His political rival has welcomed his stance:
Hugo Swire asks for more funding for social care after all!
Tuesday, 29 November 2016 0 Comments by Claire
East Devon’s MP has joined a rebellion demanding more funding for social care.
Mr Swire didn’t admit that he was planning to join a rebellion on this in his letter to me .....but I did ask him to ask for more money for health AND social care, as Devon’s budget is around £5m in the red.
It’s excellent news that Mr Swire is starting to oppose more unacceptable government policy. There are few government policies more contemptible than starving the NHS of money and plunging the most vulnerable people in society into difficulties, potentially leaving them without adequate personal care. There are too few carers who are paid very little. This is a big part of the problem.
Otherwise the deficit is largely down to rapidly rising demand - more older people with complex health and social care needs - and massive cuts to council budgets.
Here’s the article - https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/29/tory-mps-press-philip-hammond-over-nhs-and-social-care
And here’s my email to Mr Swire, sent earlier this month - http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/hugo_swire_please_back_sarah_wollaston_and_urge_chancellor_for_more_nhs_and
Here’s Mr Swire’s reply to me, received last week - http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/hugo_swire_disagrees_with_colleague_dr_sarah_wollaston_over_nhs_funding
Hugo Swire asks for more funding for social care after all! - Claire Wright
See also:
Futures Forum: The future of East Devon's hospitals >>> campaigning to keep - and expand funding
Futures Forum: The future of Sidmouth's Blackmore Health Centre >>> doctors urge the public to support their bid to buy the surgery ahead of upcoming talks
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.
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East Devon’s MP called on the Government to increase social care funding in the region or risk an ‘unacceptable’ loss of healthcare provision.
Sir Hugo Swire spoke out in the House of Commons last week and raised concerns about plans to axe hospital beds without ensuring adequate measures for alternative care are in place.
He said proposals put forward by the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – which will see Sidmouth lose all of its inpatient beds – will only put the social care budget under increased strain.
Sir Hugo suggested that the only answer is an increase in the social care budget and called for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, to ‘seriously consider’ the matter before his Autumn Statement.
In a letter to Mr Hammond, Sir Hugo wrote: ‘I am not against a reconfiguration of our local NHS per se. However, I am concerned that we are putting the cart before the horse. Before removing the hospital beds, we need to ensure that the social care provision which prevents people from needing those beds in the first place is sufficient.
“As it stands at the moment, with council budgets for social care falling behind demand by £5billion nationally, I am concerned that the loss of hospital beds will not be compensated by the social care system, resulting in an overall and unacceptable loss of healthcare provision. This would be particularly damaging in East Devon, where 27.7 per cent of people are aged 65 or over compared to 17.7 per cent nationally.
‘In my opinion, the only answer to this complex issue is an increase in the social care budget which would not only be good for patients but, ultimately, reduce the pressure on the NHS budget.”
There was no mention of additional funding for social care in the Autumn Statement announced yesterday (Wednesday).
East Devon MP Sir Hugo Swire calls for increased social care funding in the region - News - Sidmouth Herald
His political rival has welcomed his stance:
Hugo Swire asks for more funding for social care after all!
Tuesday, 29 November 2016 0 Comments by Claire
East Devon’s MP has joined a rebellion demanding more funding for social care.
Mr Swire didn’t admit that he was planning to join a rebellion on this in his letter to me .....but I did ask him to ask for more money for health AND social care, as Devon’s budget is around £5m in the red.
It’s excellent news that Mr Swire is starting to oppose more unacceptable government policy. There are few government policies more contemptible than starving the NHS of money and plunging the most vulnerable people in society into difficulties, potentially leaving them without adequate personal care. There are too few carers who are paid very little. This is a big part of the problem.
Otherwise the deficit is largely down to rapidly rising demand - more older people with complex health and social care needs - and massive cuts to council budgets.
Here’s the article - https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/29/tory-mps-press-philip-hammond-over-nhs-and-social-care
And here’s my email to Mr Swire, sent earlier this month - http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/hugo_swire_please_back_sarah_wollaston_and_urge_chancellor_for_more_nhs_and
Here’s Mr Swire’s reply to me, received last week - http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/hugo_swire_disagrees_with_colleague_dr_sarah_wollaston_over_nhs_funding
Hugo Swire asks for more funding for social care after all! - Claire Wright
See also:
Futures Forum: The future of East Devon's hospitals >>> campaigning to keep - and expand funding
Futures Forum: The future of Sidmouth's Blackmore Health Centre >>> doctors urge the public to support their bid to buy the surgery ahead of upcoming talks
.
.
.
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