Strong adult social care sector is crucial to support the NHS, health leaders warn

Responding to publication of the Skills for Care ‘State of Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce’ report, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said:

“This report shows the scale of improvements that have been made to boost recruitment and retention across the adult social care sector while also highlighting the challenges that remain. The fragility of the social care sector is one of key issue facing the health and wellbeing of our population.  

“Low pay and long hours have led to huge gaps in staffing, with more and more social care providers closing, feeding instability into a struggling system.

“A strong adult social care sector is crucial to solving the challenges facing the NHS and achieving the government’s ambitions – including preventing ill health, moving care closer to people’s homes and getting healthy patients out of hospital more quickly.  

“We hope that the government’s forthcoming Casey Review of social care will build upon the progress that has already been made to tackle recruitment and retention challenges, including the government’s recent fair pay agreement.”