‘Pretty miserable’ situation for people in need of social care with lengthy delays reported

The wait for social care for those who need it has been described as “pretty miserable” by an expert in the sector, as new data showed lengthy hold-ups in the system.

People have been waiting weeks, and some for years, for initial care assessments in the past year, the BBC reported.

Its investigation found that almost a quarter (23%) of councils in the UK who provided data had average delays of over a month for care assessments, with some people waiting years for care.

Sir Andrew Dilnot (pictured), who led a review into the future of funding social care under the coalition government and whose proposed and long-awaited reforms of social care were delayed in the autumn statement last year, said people are beginning to realise the knock-on effects on the NHS.

He told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme: “If there’s anything new about this, it’s the realisation that it’s not just the people who need care and the people who provide the care who are having a hard time, it’s now spilling over into an impact on the National Health Service that means that there are fewer beds than should be available for the other things that the NHS does.

“So it’s now actually affecting all of us, even before we need care. So maybe the pressure is building and we will get some action over the next couple of years.”

BBC Wales Investigates and the BBC’s shared data unit asked 203 local authorities about their average wait for an initial care assessment in the year 2022 to 2023.

It said that of the 78 who responded, 40% had an average wait of at least three weeks, but five had examples of people waiting more than three years.

It added that at least 1,399 people died while waiting for their local authority to arrange a package of care in 2022/23.

The BBC said it had also asked councils how many contracts were handed back to them from private companies, and found it was equivalent to over 70,000 hours.

The broadcaster said that, of those who responded, 74% said staffing was one of the main reasons.

Sir Andrew said the current situation is “pretty miserable” for both patients and social care staff.

He told Today: “It’s pretty miserable if you need social care and you can’t even get assessed to find out how much you need and what you need.

“It’s pretty miserable if you’ve been assessed, you know that you need care, the system knows you need care, and care can’t be delivered because there aren’t people to deliver it.

“And that’s tough not just for the people who need the care but it’s also tough for the people who deliver the care.

“Working in this sector at the moment is a situation which puts you under enormous pressure where you’re having to make very difficult decisions all the time.”

He said despite politicians being aware there is “a terrible problem here”, that over the years “somehow governments of all political complexions haven’t got round to doing what they think is needed”.

He also noted the “significant variation across the country” in terms of funding and needs in different areas.

David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association, told the BBC the figures “show in the most concerning terms the human impact of the level of pressures facing our adult social care system”.

Last week, social care leaders in England welcomed news that previously-pledged investment in the sector will go towards helping with recruitment and retention of staff.

The Government said the £600 million funding will support the social care workforce and boost capacity, therefore supporting the NHS ahead of winter and into next year.

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