The Promise Of A National Care Service
With the UK’s ageing population on the rise, reforming social care is high on their agenda.
Published: 22/08/2024
Since their first session of Parliament just over a month ago, the new Government has already been laying the groundwork for their policies and initiatives. With the UK’s ageing population on the rise, reforming social care is high on their agenda. Their goal is to improve the quality and consistency of care by integrating social care services more closely with the NHS and moving toward a more local community-based approach to care. But what will this look like?
Better integration
Ideally, the Government is aiming to create a National Care Service to deliver more consistent care across the country. By joining up health and social care more effectively, we should all have access to better coordinated and more complete support in both areas.
Encouraging partnerships between the NHS and social care providers at the local level is one area where this integration can improve patient outcomes and help to alleviate some of the pressure on the NHS. For example, Right at Home is already working more closely with its local discharge units across the country, helping to make the transfer from hospital to home smoother for patients, and reducing ‘bed blocking’ in hospitals.
Care in the Community
The support for a move towards care within local communities is a positive step. Its aim is to help older people stay independent and thrive in their own homes for longer, with a view to improving their quality of life. This aligns with Right at Home’s long held commitment to our Clients and their families and will also help to reduce the strain on care homes.
Homecare Association chief executive Jane Townson is also calling for more awareness around this way of thinking and for a ‘home first’ approach to become the default option for care, as she shared in a recent interview with Caring Times. (https://caring-times.co.uk/feature/what-home-care-sector-needs-from-keir-starmers-new-labour-government/).
To make this work, more money will likely be needed for home care services. There may also be increased support for family members who provide care and efforts to build stronger local support networks. To make these changes happen, there is a lot of work to be done and it is still early days, so we will be watching this space and sharing any relevant updates with you.
