"Today’s figures show that councils have reduced the number of delayed days, building on a near continuous fall in delays since last summer."
Responding to the latest figures published today by NHS England on the delayed transfers of care, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“Today’s figures show that councils have reduced the number of delayed days, building on a near continuous fall in delays since last summer.
“This latest monthly improvement – which has seen delays due to social care fall to their lowest level since September 2015 - is a fantastic achievement amid significant funding reductions, resource pressures and increased demand.
“It reflects the hard work by councils to get people out of hospital in a timely and safe manner, and living in their own homes and communities with the most appropriate support.
“Adult social care is essential to reducing pressures on the NHS and needs to be put on an equal footing to the health service if delayed transfers of care are to be reduced further.
“Councils are keen to continue to liaise with their NHS partners locally but need urgent funding to invest in effective prevention work to reduce the need for people to be admitted to hospital in the first place.
“Government needs to address immediate pressures impacting on the system today as part of the funding gap in adult social care which is set to exceed £2 billion by 2020 and ensure its Green Paper delivers a water-tight solution to the long-term sustainability of the sector.”
Notes to editors
- The latest delayed transfers of care figures for March 2018
- Between February and March delayed transfers of care due to social care have fallen by 5 per cent (75 beds per day), while delays due to the NHS have risen by 2 per cent (65 beds per day).
- Since July 2017, delays due to social care have fallen by about 30 per cent, while delays due to the NHS have fallen by 6 per cent.