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Press release

The King's Fund responds to DHSC social care boost

Responding to the £600 million social care workforce and capacity boost announced by the Department of Health and Social Care today, Simon Bottery, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, said:

‘The additional £600 million over two years for adult social care will offer some relief to hard-pressed local authorities and some of the money should feed through to struggling social care providers and staff, and therefore improve the care people receive.

‘Clearly, however, this is not the properly funded workforce plan that social care needs.

‘It’s welcome that the money is provided over a relatively long period of time and that it can be spent on a fairly wide range of initiatives. In particular, it’s good that local authorities haven’t been locked in to spending the money simply on improving hospital discharge when most of the demand they face for social care comes not from people in hospital beds but in the wider community.

‘Sadly, however, in using money originally earmarked for wider reform to help keep afloat the existing system, the government is acknowledging the end of its broader ambitions for social care. The need for reform will not go away though. If a new government wants to create a social care system that is fit for purpose, they will have to set out a genuine plan for change.’

Notes to editors

For further information, or to request an interview, please contact the Press and Public Affairs team on 020 7307 2585 (if calling out of hours, please ring 07584 146035).

The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and care in England. We help to shape policy and practice through research and analysis; develop individuals, teams and organisations; promote understanding of the health and social care system; and bring people together to learn, share knowledge and debate. Our vision is that the best possible health and care is available to all.

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