The RCP has responded to the news that the government has halved promised funding for the social care workforce from £500m to £250m.
Dr Sarah Clarke, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “It is incredible that the government has decided to halve the initial £500m promised for the social care workforce. As physicians we are only too aware of the shortage of beds available in our hospitals, largely due to a lack of social care resource within the community that would enable perfectly well patients to be discharged. At the start of this year, a record number of those well enough to leave hospital – over 14,000 – were still in a hospital bed. Around 13,000 people still find themselves in that position. The whole system relies on joined up, suitably resourced staff at every point. Without that, it fails and patient lives are once again put at risk.”
