MS Society

Social care in crisis: help lobby for change

Published date: 08 Feb 2012 at 5:13PM

A (External) report published by a cross-party group of influential MPs has today found that people who rely on social care in England are being let down by fragmented and under-funded services.

You can join us in raising our voice on this issue at a mass lobby of Parliament on March 6 .

Parliament’s Health Select Committee released the findings of an inquiry into England’s social care system, echoing many of the concerns highlighted in evidence submitted by the MS Society.

The report found:

Funding pressures are causing reductions in services, reducing the quality of life for many who rely on social care
Additional funding being provided by the Government is not enough to maintain adequate services
Efficiencies the government believes it can make will not be achieved without fundamental change in the way care is delivered

The Committee calls for the Government to:

Recognise the funding gap in social care services
Reform the system so that it promotes joint working between health and social care and better recognises the needs of carers
Implement a cap on social care costs, as recommended by the Dilnot Commission, which was set up by the Government to review the funding of social care

We’re deeply worried that too many people are being left isolated and without the support they need to live their daily lives. The result is that the NHS is picking up the bill through emergency hospital admissions that do not need to happen.

It’s vital the Government makes reform of the system an urgent priority. It needs to build a sustainable system of funding in the long-term, and put urgent measures in place to relieve the short-term crisis.

Find out more and register to join the lobby

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Page last updated: 07 Mar 2012

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We’re deeply worried that too many people are being left isolated and without the support they need to live their daily lives. The result is that the NHS is picking up the bill through emergency hospital admissions that do not need to happen.