WIREDGOV

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, responds to the Health Select Committee report on winter pressures in accident and emergency departments and the underfunding of adult social care.

"Councils have long argued that pumping money into the NHS while making cuts to adult social care is a false economy. Unless social care is properly funded, the NHS is in real danger of collapse.

"No one's elderly parents, grandparents or friends should be left unnecessarily in a hospital bed, when they could be treated in the comfort and dignity of their own home. The only way this will work is if councils get a fairer share of the funding available to enable them to alleviate the pressures on the NHS.

"Our analysis ahead of the Autumn Statement shows the sheer scale of the funding crisis we face in social care. We estimate social care for the elderly and disabled could be facing a potential funding gap of at least £2.6 billion by the end of the decade. Our own public polling has also found that two thirds of people believe a greater share of the total health budget should be spent on care for the elderly and disabled, provided by councils.

"Councils, care providers, charities, the NHS and the public are all united around the need for central government to fully fund adult social care. The Government must use the Autumn Statement to provide councils with the funding to ensure we have a fair care system which keeps people out of hospital and living independent, dignified lives at home and in the community. This will then alleviate the pressure on the NHS."

Full report and related information available at:

https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/planning-for-winter-pressure-in-accident-and-emergency-departments-inquiry-16-17/

Notes to editors

1. The LGA's submission to the Autumn Statement 2016 can be read here.
2. A poll - carried out by Populus Data Solutions for the LGA - reveals nearly two thirds of respondents (62 per cent) think adult social care services should receive a much higher proportion of health and care funding.