Tory MP Sarah Wollaston warns of ‘real impact’ of social care funding shortflall

Social care faces a funding gap which will have “a real impact” on people across the country, the Tory chairwoman of the Health Committee has warned.

Sarah Wollaston called for MPs from all sides to work together to tackle the “enormous” challenges in funding future health and care costs as she said the services need to be properly resourced.

During an opposition day debate on social care, Dr Wollaston (pictured) told the Commons that while she welcomed the £2 billion pledge to tackle the crisis over the next three years, announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond in March, there was a “consensus” there would still be a shortfall by 2019/20.

Dr Wollaston said: “I’m afraid there is a funding gap, I absolutely welcome the £2 billion that has been pledged, but there is a consensus that by the time we reach 2019/20 we will face a funding gap despite the uplift that we’ve had of around about, well over £2 billion is the estimate for the future.

“And that will have a real impact on all those that we represent in this House, so we have to fund it properly, not just now in the short term, but in the long term and we have to come forward with solutions.”

She said there was also a need to plan properly for “a wider workforce across health and social care”, otherwise “we are always going to be playing catch-up as we do at the moment”.

Dr Wollaston said health and social care cannot be seen in isolation, and called for all MPs to agree to work jointly to reach a solution.

“We owe it particularly in reality of a hung parliament where it is very difficult for us to pass any primary legislation, the only way that we’re going to move forward on behalf of the people that we all represent and we all want what’s best for them, is for us to see the solutions worked at jointly across the House.”

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