Creating a digitally-led social care sector
Ian Newell, Director at Refero, explains how teleconsultation technology is bridging the communication gap in social care… Despite 12 green and white papers and five independent commissions over the last 20 years, successive governments have failed to find a winning strategy for social care reform. Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s deadline of 1 April for the social green paper […]
Better Care Fund extended for 2019/20
The Better Care Fund, which provides financial support for councils and NHS organisations to jointly plan and deliver local services, along with helping people to leave hospital sooner to get the care they need at home, will be renewed for 2019 to 2020, ministers have confirmed. Pooled funding for the initiative will be over £6.4bn. The government […]
Social care to benefit from £37m Digital Innovation Hubs
Plans to transform the way scientists access health data are being backed by £37 million of Industrial Strategy government investment, to pioneer new, faster treatments for patients and new cures for diseases. The new centres across the UK – known as Digital Innovation Hubs – will enable scientists and innovators to access data from the […]
GUEST BLOG: How technology could help detect social care fraud
By Julian Pilling, CEO, Solutio UK Social care has become a political hot topic as cutbacks to the sector continue. Spending on social care in the UK constitutes an incredible £32 billion per year, with £22 billion being spent on adult social care and £10 billion on children’s. Adult social care alone accounts for 38% […]
Councils urged to back public call to end the crisis in social care
Momentum is growing behind free personal care for the over 65s in England, with Independent Age calling on local councillors to support the movement. Health care leaders have been longtime advocates of free personal health care to the over 65s, something that is available in Scotland, but as yet not in England or Wales, where […]
Health for Care coalition calls for sustainable social care system
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has joined a coalition of 15 health organisations in calling on the UK government to create a sustainable social care system in England. Health for Care, led by the NHS Confederation, wants a fair funding settlement, which puts social care on a sustainable path for the longer term, as well […]
More social care integration needed between the NHS and local government
Senior figures from from the NHS and local Government in Scotland are being urged to increase “pace and effectiveness” of work to integrate health and social care. Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has stressed the need to ‘accelerate progress’, based on a report reviewing the integration of health and social care services to ensure people get […]
DfE ‘does not fully understand’ children’s social care demand and costs
The National Audit Office says the Department for Education does not fully understand what is driving demand for children’s social care. It’s latest report also says the DfE is unclear as to why there is such wide variation between local authorities in their children’s social care activity and costs, as it has not yet done […]
Extra NHS and social care spending a ‘sticking plaster’
Chancellor Philip Hammond used his budget speech to announce that local authorities in England will receive a further £650 million in social care funding next year – but reaction from health bosses has been mixed. In addition, the NHS budget will increase by £20.5 billion after inflation by 2023-24 – within this, the NHS will […]
Medics call for social care funding gap to be plugged
A group of the UK’s leading medical and healthcare groups have written an open letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond stating that patients will be left ‘stranded in hospitals and GP waiting rooms’ unless the social care funding gap is plugged. The letter, which states that without extra funding for social care and public health services […]
