Town hall chiefs have issued a warning that government spending cuts have left social care and the NHS in ‘crisis’.
In a letter co-signed by health authorities, the Local Government Association (LGA) says frontline staff are becoming ‘increasingly concerned’ about the impact cuts are having on the social care system. It warns that without easing the pressure on council budgets, extra investment in the NHS is just ‘plastering over the cracks’.
The letter said: ‘Without adequate funding for care, the NHS will continue to be forced to pick up the pieces from a social care system that is not resourced to meet demands, which will be increasingly unable to keep people out of hospitals.
‘This would be a disaster for the health service and those left languishing in hospital beds instead of being cared for in their own homes and communities.’
The LGA is calling on the Government to commit to a long-term strategy for providing social care services.