The National Audit Office has published a report on the sustainability of the NHS, in which it has said that until it gains greater visibility on social care, with this year’s Spending Review, it will be hard to fully assess the long-term viability of the NHS.
Social care provided by councils and primary care provided by the NHS frequently overlap.
Dr Eleanor Toy, CIPFA policy manager health and social care, said “Today’s report from the NAO confirms the concerns we have expressed regarding the long term sustainability of the NHS finances, along with the now urgent need for a solution to the social care funding issue, and for a long term view across both health and social care”.
The NAO’s report and CIPFA’s response follow the publication of the NHS Long Term Plan on 8 January which provided some detail on how the £20.5bn promised for the NHS by prime minister Theresa May will be spent.
The plan places renewed emphasis on prevention and on primary care, and suggests that social care provision needs to be more effectively co-ordinated with the NHS.
However, there was a lack of detail on how this co-ordination will be effected , and there remains a lack of detail on government policy on social care provision, with the green paper on the subject yet to be published.
LATIF North 2019, March 21, The Midland Hotel, Manchester
Local government treasury investment management
