NHS Confederation responds to cut to funding for social care training
Responding to the Department of Health and Social Care announcement today that funding for the social care workforce will be halved, Dr Layla McCay director of policy at the NHS Confederation said:
“The decision to cut promised funding to develop the social care workforce is one which will ultimately undermine the next steps that the government has outlined in its vision for health and care.
“While some initiatives outlined in this allocation of previously announced funding may be sensible, they are sticking plasters attempting to cover the fragility in the social care market and the huge hole in social care investment that has developed over a 10-year period. The underlying issue is staffing, and to revise downwards the amount to be spent on training places is very obviously a backwards step.
“We welcome plans to digitise social care records, to improve information sharing and improve productivity, but without staff in place to deliver the care, how does this benefit the sector?
“With health and social care so intertwined, this move is not only a let-down to families, communities and patients needing care, but will also have a huge impact on the wider NHS. NHS Leaders will know that without a significant boost to the social care workforce, the governments investment in measures to improve hospital discharge, improve the flow of patients through the system and ultimately tackle the 7.2 million people on elective waiting lists hospital beds will stall.”
About us
We are the membership organisation that brings together, supports and speaks for the whole healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The members we represent employ 1.5 million staff, care for more than 1 million patients a day and control £150 billion of public expenditure. We promote collaboration and partnership working as the key to improving population health, delivering high-quality care and reducing health inequalities.
