Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to a Care Quality Commission review, ‘Beyond Barriers’, into how older people move between health and adult social care services in England.
“Integrating health and social care is important for helping to improve people’s lives and there are many examples across the country where local health and care systems are integrating to the benefit of those in need of care and support.
“It’s right to incentivise long-term investment in services and prevention and effective commissioning has an important part to play in this. But sector-led approaches have been shown to drive significant improvement and are more cost-effective than inspection.
“Ensuring people return and remain at home for longer, stay well and independent is better for them and will always cost less than if they are left languishing in a hospital bed with nowhere to go. However, integration alone cannot solve the financial challenges facing health and social care.
“There is a significant funding gap facing adult social care which needs to be plugged with more government funding if we are to help people of all ages to stay living independently at home and returning home more promptly from hospital.
“The sustainability of the health service depends on a sustainable social care system, which is why the sector needs a significant long-term cash settlement like the NHS has received, or pressures on the health service will continue to increase.
“The funding crisis cannot be ignored any longer which is why, following the delay in the Government’s green paper, the LGA will be publishing its own green paper on adult social care to help shape the crucial reforms needed.”