Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

In-home Health and Social Care Services

Tuesday 25 April 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government investing half a billion pounds annually through the disabled facilities grant for housing adaptations
  • Investing up to 7.5 billion in social care over two years to address resource constraints
  • Allocating 700 million to support discharges into social care over winter

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Angela Eagle Lab Wallasey
NHS Social Care
Context

There are significant challenges in providing adequate home-based care, including funding shortages and workforce issues.

Question

What steps he is taking to improve access to in-home health and social care services. We need people to live independently with the necessary care at home longer, but there are ongoing issues such as staffing shortages and high vacancy rates.

Answer from Helen Whately

Investing half a billion pounds annually through the disabled facilities grant for housing adaptations, supporting the home care workforce with record social care funding and reforms, and expanding NHS virtual wards to provide hospital-level care at home.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific staffing shortages and high vacancy rates were not directly addressed

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Q2 Mike Amesbury Lab
NHS Social Care
Context

A constituent's grandfather could not spend his last days at home due to insufficient resources. There is a significant recruitment and retention crisis in the social care sector.

Question

What are the Government doing about individuals unable to receive end-of-life care at home due to resource constraints? What reforms are being made to address the social care workforce crisis?

Answer from Helen Whately

Supporting end-of-life care through hospices, investing up to £7.5 billion in social care over two years, taking forward reforms for the adult social care workforce, and expanding virtual wards to provide hospital-level care at home by next winter.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific solutions addressing recruitment and retention challenges were not fully detailed

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Q3 Angela Eagle Lab Wallasey
NHS Social Care
Context

Age UK reported a significant increase in social care vacancies, which is impacting patient discharges from hospitals. Only 26% of patients are currently being discharged when ready.

Question

Does the Minister agree that neglect and underfunding of social care by this Government is costing more through wasted hospital provision? What concrete measures will be taken to improve this situation?

Answer from Helen Whately

Investing an extra £7.5 billion in adult social care, spending £700 million on supporting discharges into social care over winter, and allocating £600 million for discharges to homes with social care provision next year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific issue of high vacancy rates and their impact was not directly addressed

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