19.09.12
Social care funding gap continues to grow
The social care funding ‘black hole’ has deepened to £892m, a new report from Bupa suggests.
The failure to agree a sustainable funding structure has added £26m to the financial ‘gap’ – the difference between the cost of providing high quality care and the fees paid by local authorities to care home providers – in the past 12 months in England.
Budget cuts and an ageing population have increased pressure on councils, with many found to be paying below inflation care home fees. The report, ‘Bridging the Gap’, suggests the total extra spending required from 2013/14 to 2015/16 is £1.78bn.
Oliver Thomas, UK director of Bupa Care Homes, said: “Some providers simply will not be able to deliver the quality of care that we should all be able to expect. The Government must recognise the urgency of the funding shortfall and allocate money to help councils pay the true cost of care now.
“Ultimately, if there is not adequate investment in the sector over the long term, we will see more care homes forced to close or focus on serving the self pay market to the detriment of provision in the state sector.
“Inadequate investment will mean even fewer places available to local authority funded residents which would leave very dependent people isolated in their own homes or placing undue pressure on the NHS.”
Michelle Mitchell, charity director general at Age UK said: “This is a crisis that now risks spiralling out of control. This report shows the extent of the current crisis in social care underfunding.
“The Government must rise to the challenge and put in place the fair and sustainable funding that's required to ensure older people the care they desperately need.”
The report is at: www.bupa.com/media/479673/bridging_the_gap_final.pdf
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