We are now paying the price for not putting social care on an equal footing with the health service

Responding to the research commissioned by the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care on the state of England's adult social care sector, Sir Ciarán Devane, chief executive of the NHS Alliance, said:

“For far too long, the NHS has been left to pick up the pieces of a broken social care system, adding to the huge pressures it is already facing. These findings rightly point to a lack of leadership – we are now paying the price for not putting social care on an equal footing with the health service.

“The failure over many years by successive governments to bring in lasting reform is felt by our members in the difficulties they face managing the flow of very frail patients. Social care plays a vital role in keeping people well and supported in the community. Too little support means more people needing hospital care, while shortages in social care can leave patients stuck in hospital when they are well enough to leave. Helping people leave hospital as soon as they are well is in everyone’s interests. Patients can continue their recovery at home, while hospital beds are freed up for those who need them most.

“Health service leaders will do all they can to help make any reform of the social care system a success. However, those changes must focus on prevention and delivering better outcomes for people, rather than simply to manage pressures elsewhere in the system. Everyone deserves to receive the same level of assessment, care and treatment, regardless of what their health condition is. They must get the support they need to stay independent, at home and out of hospital wherever possible.

“Social care reform is vital to helping people live well and is an important part of tackling inequities in life experience. We hope the Casey Review will provide a solution to the long running under-funding of the sector.”