Care millions not reducing pressure on hospitals - watchdog

The spending watchdog found the Better Care Fund had failed to deliver expected savings or curb pressures on hospitals and the care system.

The Better Care Fund was created to better integrate the work of the NHS and council care services to try and reduce the number of people admitted to hospital and speed up the discharge of elderly patients well enough to move into care.

But today’s report from the National Audit Office found hospital admissions actually rose by 87,000 at a cost of £311m in its first year, while the number of days lost due to hospitals being unable to discharge patients also increased at a cost of £146m.

More than £350m will be spent in Yorkshire this year through the Better Care Fund.

Meg Hillier, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of MPs, said: “Unless the Department of Health and NHS England fully engage local government in whatever rehashed targets result from sustainability and transformation plans, then integration by 2020 is nothing but a pipe dream.

“Meanwhile patients, and older and vulnerable adults, suffer.”

Today’s report will add to the growing pressure on the Government over the strain on the health and care system.

Ministers have been told by councils, including those run by Conservative administrations, that they are struggling to cope with the demand for elderly care. Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid has responded by allowing councils to raise their bills by more than planned this year.

Sheffield last night joined other Yorkshire authorities including Wakefield, Calderdale and Bradford in setting out plans to increase their council tax by the maximum five per cent allowed.

Coun Ben Curran, cabinet member for finance, said: “We’ve called on the government to properly fund social care.

“It’s fallen on deaf ears so we’ve had to continue making difficult decisions in order to balance the books again.”

A Department for Health spokesman said: “The Better Care Fund is just one element of this Government’s programme to integrate health and social care for the first time — and as the report recognises, it has already incentivised local areas to work together better, with nine out of ten places saying their plans are improving services for patients.”