Adult care and dementia costs largest worry in Plymouth
THE cost of looking after vulnerable adults is fast becoming Plymouth’s biggest burden, writes Political Reporter Keith Rossiter.
Adult social care, which includes the escalating expense of caring for people with dementia, cost the city £72.5million in 2009/10 — a jump of almost seven per cent in a year.
It dwarfs the £28.4million for social care for children and young people.
The total amount spent on children in the 2009/10 financial year, including education, was £108,584,000, according to the city’s statement of accounts, which were published this week.
According to former city Cabinet member Dr David Salter the swelling number of elderly people and an explosion in dementia care is putting unprecedented strain on the coffers.
Cllr Salter fears the cost of looking after people with dementia in Plymouth could rise nearly £2million by 2012, and the Labour peer Lord Lipsey estimates that the bill for adult social care will triple by 2016, driving up council tax and forcing cuts in other services.
In 2008 there were estimated to be about 2,900 people with various forms of dementia in the city, but only 37 per cent of them were being cared for by city services.
By 2012 there are likely to be more than 3,100 sufferers in Plymouth.
Dr Salter, an expert on dementia, said: “This issue isn’t going to go away. It’s of huge national importance and costs more than heart disease, strokes and cancer put together.
“By 2012 we will have to find £1.72million of new funding if we do not reorganise the way services are delivered in Plymouth.”
He said there had been a stigma attached to dementia that stopped people admitting that a family member was a sufferer.
“It astounds me that the medical profession has been allowed to under-play this for so long.”
The city’s accounts, which were presented to the council’s audit committee, also reveal that:
Cultural, environmental, regulatory and planning services swallowed up a massive £55.7million. This catch-all category included spending of £16.8million on the Theatre Royal, offset by income of £14.2million.
The council spent £10.642million on street services, and earned £10.47million, leaving a deficit of £172,000. Street services include grass cutting, playing fields, sports facilities, maintaining flowerbeds, trees and shrubs, and vehicle maintenance.
Providing meals to 87 schools, along with staff catering facilities cost £323,000.
Highways and transport services cost £13.4million, down from £14.6million in the previous year.
The council has contracted Amey to look after the city’s roads.
Central services to the public cost £4,2million, a saving of £1million over a year.
Manufacturing earned the city £136,000. Before Plymouth’s nearly 15,000 council homes were transferred to Plymouth Community Homes last autumn, its Prince Rock depot made a small profit for the council.
Off-street parking earned the council £5.404million in 2009/10, a drop of £301,000 over the previous year. A much bigger fall in spending, from £5.283million to £2.901million left a surplus of £2.503million.
On-street parking also brought in less money, falling from £2,882,000 in 008/09 to £2,798,000 last year. Spending also fell slightly, leaving a surplus of £1,158,000.
The parking operation overall earned the city council £3,661,000.
The council paid £13,271,000 in interest on loans, down from £19,984,000 in the previous year.
Discounts for early debt repayment brought in £101,000.
PFI debt cost £2,962,000.
Adding in the provision for the Icelandic bank crash of £5,723,000 brought the council’s finance charges to £21,855,000.
Councillors’ allowances cost £16,000 more than in the previous year — a total of £939,000 broken down as: Basic allowance: £572,000
Special responsibility: £364,000
Travel and other expenses: £3,000
