We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

In the Autumn Statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced an extra £3.3billion for the health service in each of the next two years, while £4.7billion will go into social care.

Mr Barclay said delays admitting patients to A&E and huge waiting times could be due to thousands of medically fit people being unable to go home.

He admitted doctors, ambulances and hospitals are under “huge pressure”.

The Government has also faced criticism for pushing back social care reforms until October 2025.

The measures, including an £86,000 cap on personal care cost contributions, had been due from next October.

Mr Barclay said: “It has been a difficult decision to delay but what we recognise is we need more care packages in social care.

“The local government bodies have asked us to delay because they were concerned about such a major change at a time when, as a consequence of the pandemic, the market is under such pressure within the care system.”

Pressed if people were dying because of ambulance delays, Mr Barclay said: “If there is a delay in an ambulance getting to someone in terms of unmet need, then that is a material risk.”

Mr Barclay said delays in healthcare and missed A&E waiting time targets are “predominantly” down to Covid.

He added: “Of course, there were challenges going into the pandemic. That’s why we’re targeting through the long-term plan significant additional investment into healthcare.”

Yesterday it also emerged local NHS trusts will be given more powers to set their own priorities, ditching central goals and red tape.

The Health Secretary said: “There is a place for targets but if everything is a priority, nothing’s a priority.”

Former Labour health secretary Patricia Hewitt has been appointed to lead a review into NHS efficiency.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said his organisation “absolutely supports” devolving more power in the NHS.

He told Sophy Ridge on Sky News: “Too often these national systems treat everywhere as if it’s the same, and places are very different.”

Mr Taylor added that “almost every hospital” in the UK “has got wards full of people who could go home, who should go home”, but there was a lack of social care staff to look after them.

Source: Read Full Article