Care funding at risk in England that would put lives in danger

Over the past two months we have been writing about the need for more care support workers to work in the care sector, we have been highlighting the fact that more people are getting older which means care service demands are going to increase by 2034.

Yesterday there was an interesting article published by the BBC outlining concerns that council care budgets could be at risk. ProCare Nursing service the south west of England, we provide qualified nurses and care support workers to the private and public sector, if budgets are at risk and demands in care work are increasing then a short fall in funding is only going to inhibit the services we can provide south west England.

Local councils are funded by three short-term funds, these funds amount to £16.6bn. These funds however are due to finish in March 2020, local government leaders are asking the question if these funds are to close then is new funding going to be made available. If not then the impact of health and social care services could be devastating and lives of vulnerable people could be put at risk.

Here is a graphic that shows how the current funding is distributed to local councils.

If funding does not become available then council care services will be scrapped, what does that mean exactly? Here are a number of examples bullet pointed outlining exactly what it means to scrap care services, these services are vital in ensuring vulnerable people live dignified lives.

* Nurses will stop visiting vulnerable people in their homes to administer medication.

* Care support workers will no longer be able to assist vulnerable people with personal care such as washing and dressing.

* Care support workers will be unavailable to run errands for vulnerable people, from shopping and house cleaning.

* Care support workers will no longer be able to plan and prepare meals for service users.

These are just a few examples, there are many more care services that will be scrapped by local councils if funding is not made readily available after March 2020. ProCare Nursing will always be here to support the private and public sector when it comes to health and social care, we already employ over 300 care workers and many nurses, but with funding being cut or scrapped this will inhibit our ability to provide care packages to local councils, as a lack of funds will diminish their ability to hire care packages.

With Brexit hot on the agenda and a possible general election looming, we will have to wait and see what the future holds, but it is clear that if new funding is not made available to support the health and social care sector, then the future for vulnerable people who need care is looking bleak.

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If you have any care requirements get in touch we have everything in-place to ensure quality care support to service users. We are a health and social care agency that has been established for over 20 years, we have won awards and are ready to provide you with award winning health and social care.