Some elderly people waiting more than six months for social care package
Some elderly people are waiting more than six months for their full care package from local councils, an investigation has found.
Freedom of Information (FOI) data collected from 80 councils by ITV News found that even after care was approved, it could take months for the service to begin.
At seven councils, people had waited longer than six months while at one council, a person had to wait longer than a year.
Councils are under intense pressure due to budget cuts, which is having a knock-on effect on the NHS as people who are medically fit to leave cannot always leave hospital quickly.
ITV News asked councils for the single longest number of days an individual had been waiting for the start of an initial adult social care package.
In total, 42 councils had recorded waiting times of more than a month.
The council with the longest wait for a long-term adult social care package was North Somerset (377 days).
The council said this was due to the specialist nature of the care required. In the meantime, a short-term support package has been put in place to provide support.
In Bournemouth, the longest wait was 319 days, while in Tameside it was 302 days.
The council there said the person would not accept the care package from the zoned provider and other providers were unable to deliver the care package.
The in-house reablement service – provided by carers – continues to be provided, it said.
Other councils offered no reasons for the delays.
The investigation also found that in one week in December, there were 2,351 adults across England waiting for their promised home care package to begin.
The leader of Kirklees council David Sheard told ITV News: “Any wait for care is regrettable.”
His council reported 32 people waiting for care – with one waiting 181 days.
He said he believes that by the end of the year, Government funding cuts mean schools and social care will be the only services his council will be able to pay for.
He said, “At the moment, in this year’s budget we are spending £800,000 a week from our reserves on social care.
“At that rate our reserves will run out in September and then no one can tell us what we can do. The only thing we can do is to stop doing anything else.”
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “Very long delays like these are unacceptable – vulnerable people must get prompt, dignified care.
“While many local authorities are already providing high-quality social care services, we will continue to challenge and support those not currently doing so.
“We have provided councils with up to £7.6 billion of dedicated funding for social care over the course of this parliament – significant investment to help care for our ageing population.”
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