WIREDGOV

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responded to a Health and Social Care Committee report into workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care 

“Social care staff have been on the frontline throughout the pandemic, doing everything they can to protect people of all ages from the dreadful effects of coronavirus.

“Despite their extraordinary endeavours, this report rightly highlights we still face a huge recruitment and retention crisis in social care, with more than 100,000 vacancies available on any given day and extremely high turnover rates. 

“Social care deserves parity of esteem with the NHS and action is desperately needed for the care workforce including on pay, conditions, professionalisation, skills and training.

“All of those who work in and draw upon social care need a sustainable, long-term funding solution to how we provide care and support, which allows people to live the lives they want to lead. We urge government to bring forward its proposals as soon as possible and before the summer parliamentary recess.”

Overhaul needed to tackle NHS and social care workforce burnout emergency