Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness, has welcomed the Government’s announcement of additional funding for local authorities to ease social care pressures over winter, including £3,367,950 for Lincolnshire.
Earlier this month, the Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock MP, announced £240 million for the social care system over winter, giving councils a significant boost to prevent people from going into hospital unnecessarily and getting them home as soon as they are ready. This funding will ease pressure on the health system, and follows the announcement of £145 million to improve emergency care within the NHS this winter.
The money will pay for home care packages to help patients get out of hospital quicker, reablement packages to help patients carry out everyday tasks and regain mobility and confidence, and home adaptations.
Matt Warman MP has welcomed this announcement of £3.4 million for social care services in Lincolnshire, thanks to the Government’s balanced approach to the economy. He commented,
“I am delighted that Lincolnshire is receiving this additional funding to help social care services cope with winter pressures. This is part of our balanced approach to the economy – spending on key public services while keeping taxes down and getting debt falling. Social care packages allow people to leave hospital as soon as they are well enough, and ensure they can regain independence and confidence at home. The funding will allow Lincolnshire to meet the care needs of more local people this winter.”
In a recent Parliamentary debate on social care, Matt also paid tribute to social care workers from Boston and Skegness and the local ambulance service, who he joined a shift with in the summer to see their work first-hand. Speaking about his experience, he said,
“Three of the four jobs dealt with the consequences of people needing a different social care package from that which the current system is able to provide them with.”
After the debate, he added,
“My shift with East Midlands Ambulance Service helped me to learn more about how we need to reform our social care system, and reform needs to take the ambulance service into account. I welcome the addition funding provided for social care this winter, which will help relieve pressure across the NHS, including for blue light services.”
- Matt’s contribution to the social care debate on 17th October can be seen via the following link: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2018-10-17/debates/E677AB78-D814-479B-83AD-E7AB3DC51FCE/SocialCareFunding#contribution-A0A6B803-4866-4592-8543-08A5A8CCCD43
- Earlier this month, Ministers announced £240 million of social care investment to ease NHS winter pressures. The investment in adult social care this winter will help local authorities reduce pressures on the NHS by getting patients home quicker and freeing up hospital beds across England. (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/240-million-social-care-investment-to-ease-nhs-winter-pressures)
- On 17th October 2018, the Government announced the regional allocation of the funding. Local authorities in England will receive a share of a £240 million fund to help local areas ease winter pressures on the NHS. (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regional-allocation-of-adult-social-care-winter-funding)
- The NHS has been given £145 million to improve emergency care ahead of winter. The funding is being spent on 81 new schemes to upgrade wards, redevelop A&E departments, improve same-day emergency care, and improve systems for managing the number of beds in use.