Policy Updates 26th September

 

The following policy updates have been curated from the week commencing 19th September 2022.

Plan for Patients

In parliament today, the Secretary of State outlined the government's 'Plan for Patients' (document linked). It is a very NHS focused document and, unfortunately, sees social care through a NHS lens. The document and statement set out the key priorities: Reducing waiting times for ambulances, clearing the backlog, enabling social care to take people discharged from hospital, and various measures for dentists and doctors. 

I will focus on what was announced with regards to social care - there isn't much detail.

  • £500m fund to support discharge in to the community and bolster the social care workforce. - This sounds like a cross between last year's Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund and Discharge to Assess funding. We await more detail but it is frustrating to see social care reduced to a discharge role. The money isn't new money, it comes from 'underspend' within wider DHSC.

  • A new national recruitment campaign in conjunction with DWP

  • £15m to help boost international recruitment - again, not new money but money from 'underspend' within wider DHSC.

  • A renewed commitment to digitised social care records.

  • A renewed commitment to introducing cap on care costs and changes to the means test

Our response can be read here. Needless to say, the scant detail outlined in the plan makes it difficult to understand whether it will make any difference. The focus entirely on hospital discharge is unhelpful and the government is completely silent on workforce planning and improved pay, terms and conditions for the workforce. We are working on understanding how it will be distributed and any grant conditions. 

Mini-Budget and Repeal of National Insurance Levy

Tomorrow at 9:30am, the Chancellor will deliver a statement on the government's plan for growth. This will include repealing the Health and Care Levy from 6 November 2022. In a statement today, the Chancellor has stated that the £13bn a year that was to be raised for health and social care through this levy will still be provided. See the attached press note from the Treasury detailing the government's plans to reverse the increase of national insurance from 6 November and confirmation that social care funding remains. 

Also expected is a 'shake-up' to universal credit rules to encourage more people to work. We will have more details tomorrow. 

Energy Bills Cap for Businesses

Following the announcement yesterday of a cap on wholesale costs of gas and electricity for businesses (see my briefing from yesterday), we have continued to seek clarification and more detail. Please do keep sending your questions and concerns through, and we will circulate answers when we have them. We have asked for more detailed guidance about eligibility and how it interacts with other support schemes. 

Labour Party Conference

Just a reminder that we are running a fringe event at the Labour Party conference this weekend in conjunction with a number of not-for-profit organisations and Progressive Britain. Please be inviting key contacts in local government and parliament: 

Title: ‘Who cares? Why A National Care Service needs the non-for-profit sector’

Sunday 25th September, 2-3pm

ACC Liverpool Concourse 1

Speaking:

  • Oliver Thomason, Sports Inclusion Assistant, Community Integrated Care

  • Geeta Nanda OBE, G15 Chair & CEO MTVH

  • Sarah Jones, CEO Anchor

  • Wes Streeting, Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary

  • Anna Dixon, Labour Candidate for Shipley & Chair of Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care - Chair

Register the NCF CEO’s & Director’s Conference 20222 REFORM to REALITY

We now have new dates for the NCF CEO's conference - 28th November for an evening of networking during the drinks reception and diner. The 29th November will see the full conference programme. 

  • The ticket price has been reduced to £199+VAT for all NCF members, we hope this will enable you and a colleague to attend the event and take advantage of all on offer.

  • Follow the link for all conference details, including the PROGRAMME and to REGISTER: https://bit.ly/NCF_2022

  • NCF has arranged a discount for accommodation at Leonardo St Paul’s on the evening of 28th November (including breakfast) of £229.

    • To book your accommodation visit https://www.jurysinns.com/ and use the promotion code: LHTNCF281122 (the image attached gives instructions).

    • The discount will expire on 28th October, so please make your reservations before this date.

 
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