Government Business

NEW RELEASE:
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS 25.04

Social care saving money, but under Brexit threat

A new report from ADASS has revealed that adult social care has saved the NHS almost £60 million through reducing pressures in the last year.

The analysis found that the average cost of residential care is £91.10 per day, which is £221.90 cheaper than an excess bed day in hospital. The cost of delivering excess bed days in hospital throughout 2016/17 was £253,847,069. According to the analysis, if these had been provided through residential care, that cost would have been significantly less at £73,883,284.

Nonetheless, despite the positive findings of the figures, the Global Future think tank has warned that ending freedom of movement after Brexit could result in 115,000 fewer adult social care workers by 2026. With details of Brexit still blurred by central government uncertainty, and doubts over whether the forthcoming green paper on social care will include a long-term funding solution similar to the NHS 70 investment, the already 90,000 unfilled vacancies across the sector, coupled with the warning from Global Future leaves the sector in deep waters.

The sector is currently adding just 18,000 British workers a year, with the number of non-EU care staff, who are subject to strict immigration controls, also falling over the last five years. Recruitment within the NHS has been a pressing issue for a number of years, but if the government again leaves social care to fall by the wayside as it favours the health system, it may not be able to stand again.

Michael Lyons, editor