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Showing results for tags 'Social care'.
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Content ArticleUnpaid carers play a substantial and vital role in meeting social care needs. The care they provide has enormous value, both for the people they care for and for wider society. Many carers experience great satisfaction from their role, and through the help and support they provide to friends and family members they may also reduce the costs of formal social care provision. At the same time, caring responsibilities can come at a high personal and financial cost, despite the 2014 Care Act giving carers the right to receive support. 1 in 5 carers report feeling socially isolated and 4 in 10 report financial difficulties because of their caring role. This report by The Health Foundation aims to explore national data on the number of unpaid carers and trends over time, as well as which groups are more likely to have caring responsibilities and who they provide care for. It gives an overview of the types of support available to carers, and what we know–and don’t know–about how many carers are accessing support.
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Content ArticleBetween 2000 and 2010, multi-year funding increases and a series of reforms resulted in major improvements in NHS performance. However, performance has declined since 2010 as a result of much lower funding increases, limited funds for capital investment and neglect of workforce planning. Constraints on social care spending have also resulted in fewer people receiving publicly funded social care and a repeated cycle of governments promising to reform social care but failing to do so. As a result, the health and social care sector now finds itself facing unprecedented challenges, from increasing demand and growing waiting lists, to a workforce in crisis. This report by Chris Ham, former Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, analyses how a major public service that is highly valued by the public was allowed to deteriorate. It focuses on the period since 2010 and the factors that contributed to the decline of the NHS after the progress that had been made in the previous decade. While the current situation can feel overwhelming, the improvements that occurred between 2000 and 2010 show that change is possible where the political will exists. The paper concludes by setting out what now needs to be done to sustain and reform the NHS, with a focus on spending decisions, moderating demand and sharing responsibility with patients and the public, alongside a long-term perspective.
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Content ArticleNuffield Trust’s fifteenth annual Summit took place in March 2023. These videos feature highlights of the speaker sessions: Diagnosing the NHS Priorities in social care Community and rehabilitation services - the key to easing gridlock? Addressing inequalities in general practice - politics, policy and reality Solving the workforce burnout crisis Improving communication between the NHS and the public Changing the centralised culture of the NHS
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Content ArticlePeter Seaby had Down's Syndrome and autism and was cared for at home by members of his family for 62 years. However, in 2017, Peter was removed from the home he shared with his sister Karen, who was his full time carer, and placed in a care home. Karen and Peter's brother Mick were not told by social services why Peter was moved. Within six months of being in the home, Peter choked on a carrot and died. Karen and Mick found the subsequent inquest into Peter's death in July 2021 to be inadequate and launched a Judicial Review challenge which was successful in quashing the findings of the initial inquest. A new inquest was held in February 2023 Journalist George Julian has been following and reporting on Peter's second inquest and has written several blog posts about the case, highlighting serious failings in his care that led to his death: Peter Seaby’s 2nd inquest – how he came to be in the care of the Priory Group Peter Seaby’s 2nd inquest “I have stood on my own in this” Peter Seaby’s 2nd inquest – the SALT plan Peter Seaby’s 2nd inquest – record keeping and decision making Peter Seaby’s 2nd inquest – April 2018 Peter Seaby’s 2nd inquest – May 2018 Peter Seaby’s 2nd Inquest – Conclusion
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News Article
Our job is to keep people out of A&E
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
As the pressures of winter and the Covid treatment backlog grow, the NHS is struggling. In Manchester, one organisation is pioneering a new way to care for people that tries to reduce the burden on the health service. It's the first call-out of the day for nurse Manju and pharmacist Kara in north Manchester. They are on their way to see Steven, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and had a fall the previous night. This might have led to a call-out for an ambulance crew and a visit to A&E. But instead the Manchester Local Care Organisation (LCO) stepped in. Once at Steven's house, Manju makes sure he hasn't been harmed by his fall, while Kara checks his medication. Manju notes that Steven's tablets could have contributed to his fall. Manju asks Steven how he copes going up and down the stairs. "I'm OK, just about," he says. But when he has a go at coming down the stairs, Manju spots he could use an extra grab rail and says she will sort one out. This intervention by the team has not only avoided Steven ending up in A&E, but also ensures he can continue to live independently in his own home. That's a key part of the LCO mission, according to Lana McEwan, one of the team leaders in north Manchester. "We would consider ourselves to be an admission-avoidance service, so we're trying to prevent ambulances being called in the first instance. "When an ambulance has been called, we're taking referrals directly from the ambulance service and responding within a one or two-hour response depending on need, and that's an alternative to A&E." Local neighbourhood teams are made up of nurses, social workers, pharmacists and doctors, all working together to keep people out of hospital. Read full story Source: BBC News, 9 December 2022 -
News Article
Former NHSE chief: ‘Most hospital discharge data is useless’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A former chief executive of the NHS has said most data collected about hospital discharges by NHS England is ‘useless’ and biased against social care. Sir David Nicholson, who was chief executive of the NHS from 2006 to 2013, and of NHS England until 2014, has said “almost all” of the data around delayed discharges “is designed to show how bad social care is”. Sir David, who is now chair of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham Trust, added that data on the number of patients with the “right to reside” in hospital is “wholly useless” when trying to improve discharge rates. NHSE publishes figures on the numbers of patients who “no longer meet the criteria to reside” in hospital – and during the winter months will publish this every week. NHSE has said the data collected on discharges helps to improve patient care and flow. In an interview with HSJ editor, Sir David said: “The problem we have with a lot of the data we collect [is that] it is designed for accountability reasons, not operational reasons. “And if you want a good example of that, have a look at the debate around discharge at the moment. There is a myriad of data, almost all of it is useless […] and almost all of it is designed to show how bad social care is. It’s extraordinary". Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 30 November 2022 -
News Article
Logan Mwangi murder: Injuries seen as accident by doctor
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Hospital doctors failed to share with child protection services a list of "significant" injuries a five-year-old boy suffered 11 months before he was murdered, a case review has found. Logan Mwangi had a broken arm and multiple bruises across his body when he was taken to A&E in August 2020. But a paediatric consultant said these injuries were accidental and did not make a child protection referral. Logan, from Bridgend, was murdered by his mother, stepfather and a teenager. A Child Practice Review (CPR) has looked at how different agencies were involved with Logan's family in the 17 months before his death. Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board said it welcomed the commissioning of an independent review into how it identifies and investigates non-accidental injuries. The report said that if the injuries had been shared with social services, appropriate action could have been taken to safeguard Logan. Jan Pickles, the independent chair of the review panel, said it was a "a significant missed opportunity". She added: "Had further information from health been shared it most likely, though we cannot say for sure because of hindsight bias, would have triggered a child protection assessment in line with the joint agreed guidelines, as the nature of those injuries clearly met the threshold." Read full story Source: BBC News, 24 November 2022 -
News Article
Vulnerable man ‘abandoned’ and discharged from hospital into budget hotel
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The government has been urged to protect “catastrophically” under-resourced mental health social services after a vulnerable man was discharged from a hospital into a Travelodge. Will Mann, a 42-year-old with long-term mental health illness, was “abandoned” by social care services after he was discharged from an NHS hospital, his mother Jackie has said. Speaking with The Independent, Jackie Mann, explained how Will, who had to declare himself homeless before his discharge this year, was told the only available housing accommodation for him was a Travelodge. Mr Manns story has sparked warnings over the state of the shortage of social care and supported accommodation for those with severe mental illness, from the charity Rethink Mental Illness, which warned: “This is another reminder of how the crisis engulfing social care is impacting people’s lives, and why the government must protect mental health in the upcoming budget.” In an interview with The Independent, Jackie Mann, Mr Mann’s mother said: “He had to go straight from there to a Travelodge in Christchurch, which was a very unsuitable place because it was just a room, no cooking facilities. “During the time he was there, nobody came to visit him, he was just sort of abandoned there and during his time there, he was told he had to leave the Travelodge and go to another one because that Travelodge was overbooked.” According to our major charity Rethink, the shortage of “appropriate accommodation” is one of the biggest drivers of delayed discharges for mental health patients. Read full story Source: The Independent, 21 November 2022 -
News Article
Discharge reform could save NHS £7bn, claims DHSC
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A policy change to speed up hospital discharge could save the NHS more than £7bn over a decade, according to a government evaluation – but ministers have not funded it. A Department of Health and Social Care impact assessment of the Health and Care Act, passed earlier this year, says that wider use of discharge to assess could free up as many as 6,000 hospital beds and save the NHS £7bn by 2031, the equivalent of £800m a year. It adds: “The overall societal benefits of this would likely be higher as beds could be allocated to patients with more urgent health care needs.” The “discharge to assess” approach, which has been used on a temporary basis for several years and more widely during the pandemic – with government funding to back it – sees patients discharged more quickly, and provided with support at home while their long-term care needs are assessed. It was credited with significant reductions in the amount of time patients spent in hospital. Changes in the Health and Care Act were intended to remove legal obstacles to the approach, by revoking a requirement for an assessments be carried out before discharge, which often leads to delays in the patient leaving hospital. Read full story (paywalled) Source: 15 November 2022 -
News Article
Top doctor ‘desperate’ to keep parents out of ‘lobster trap’ hospitals
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
One of the country’s most senior doctors has said he is “desperate” to keep his elderly parents out of hospital, which he said are like “lobster traps”. Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said hospitals are easy to get into but hard to get out of. His comments come after figures showed the number of patients in hospital beds in England who no longer need to be there has reached a new monthly high. An average of 13,613 beds per day were occupied by people ready to be discharged from hospital in October. That was up from 13,305 in September and the highest monthly figure since comparable data began in December 2021, according to analysis by the PA news agency. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Dr Boyle said: “Hospitals are like lobster traps – they’re easy to get into and hard to get out of. “If social care was able to do its job in the way we want it to, these poor people wouldn’t be stranded in hospital. “I have elderly parents and I’m desperate to keep them out of hospital. “For someone who is frail, hospital is often a bad place for them. They’re being harmed by being in hospital.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 14 November 2022 -
News ArticleA Guardian analysis has found that as many as one in three hospital beds in parts of England are occupied by patients who are well enough to be discharged, with a chronic lack of social care meaning many do not have suitable places to go. Barry Long's 91-year-old mother has Alzheimer’s and was admitted to Worthing hospital on 30 May after a minor fall. She was a bit confused but otherwise unhurt, just a bit shaken. Whilst in hospital, she caught Covid and had to be isolated, which she found distressing, and became increasingly disoriented. She was declared medically fit to be discharged but no residential bed could be found for her. Then, in August, she was left unsupervised and fell over trying to get to the toilet and she fractured her hip, which required surgery. Her hip was just about healed when she caught her shin between the side bars and the frame of the bed, cutting her shin so badly that she is being reviewed by a plastic surgeon to see if it needs a skin graft. "Since the operation, my mum is pretty much bedbound and lives in a state of confusion and anxiety", says Barry. "Her physical health and mental wellbeing have deteriorated considerably in the almost five months she has spent in the care of the NHS. She spends all day practically trapped in bed, staring into space or with her eyes shut, just rocking to and fro. She has little mental stimulation." Read full story Source: The Guardian, 13 November 2022
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News Article
Northern Ireland carers 'suffer shocking levels of poor health'
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Unpaid carers in Northern Ireland are suffering from "shocking levels of poor health", according to the charity Carers NI. In a survey of more than 1,600 unpaid carers across Northern Ireland, more than a quarter of respondents described their mental health as bad or very bad. One in five carers said the same about their physical health. The survey also found some 40% had not had a break from caring during the previous year and 23% said support services in their area did not meet their needs. Tracey Gililand, from Portadown, cares for her two disabled sons and said families like hers have been all but forgotten since the beginning of the pandemic. "Carers are still having to ask for the full return of much-needed day care and respite services and it feels like we've been left to paddle our own canoes with no help," she said. "No one knows our struggles, the many sleepless nights and exhaustion during the day. The impact on carers' mental health. The isolation that families like us experience that no one else sees," Ms Gililand explained. Carers NI said it has called for a legal right to social care support for all unpaid carers, the appointment of an independent carers' champion to advocate for carers to government, and wider transformation of the health system. Craig Harrison from the charity said carers had been "driving themselves into the ground", and were physically exhausted and in a state of constant anxiety. Read full story Source: BBC News, 8 November 2022 -
News Article
State of social care in England ‘never been so bad’, social services boss warns
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The state of social care in England has “never been so bad”, the country’s leading social services chief has said, with half a million people now waiting for help. Sarah McClinton, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), told a conference of council care bosses in Manchester: “The shocking situation is that we have more people requesting help from councils, more older and disabled with complex needs, yet social care capacity has reduced and we have 50,000 fewer paid carers.” Over 400,000 people rely on care homes in England and more than 800,000 receive care at home. But care services are struggling with 160,000 staff vacancies, rising demand and already tight funding for social care that is being squeezed by soaring food and energy inflation. About a third of care providers report that inability to recruit staff has negatively affected their service and many have stopped admitting new residents as a result. Last month the Care Quality Commission warned of a “tsunami of unmet care” and said England’s health and social care system was “gridlocked”. Problems in social care make it harder to free up beds in hospitals, slowing down the delivery of elective care. “The scale of how many people are either not getting the care and support they need, or are getting the wrong kind of help, at the wrong time and in the wrong place is staggering,” said McClinton, who is also director for health and adult services in Greenwich. “It is also adding to the endless pressures we see with ambulances and hospitals, and adding to the pressures we see in our communities, more people requesting help with mental health and domestic abuse.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 2 November 2022 -
Content ArticleThis white paper sets out the UK Government's 10-year vision for adult social care, and provides information on funded proposals that they will implement over the next three years. It highlights the factors that will cause an increase in demand for social care over the next decade and identifies stakeholders who the proposed changes to social care will affect. A key proposal in this white paper is the cap on how much individuals in England will contribute to their care costs from October 2023, which aims to make care costs predictable and limited.
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Content ArticleThe aim of this study in BMJ Open was to develop quality standards that define minimal requirements for safe medication processes in nursing homes. After identifying key topics for medication safety from a systematic search for similar guidelines, prior work and discussions with experts, the authors specified the essential requirements for each key topic. They then evaluated these requirements with a piloted, two-round Delphi study. The study developed 85 quality standards for safer and resident-oriented medication in Swiss nursing homes.
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Content ArticleThis report by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) sets out practical ways in which decision-makers and system designers can use the skills offered by occupational therapy to ensure all patients get access to the support they need. Health equity is one of RCOT’s priorities for 2022 and this report looks at the role of occupational therapists in widening access to care in the following areas: Primary care Housing Children, young people, and families Community rehabilitation Community mental health Criminal justice system
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Content ArticleThe Homecare Association calls on central government to invest properly in homecare, so we can address unmet need, reduce inequalities, extend healthy life expectancy of older and disabled people and reduce pressure on the NHS. To gain an up-to-date view of the additional funding required for homecare to ensure an adequate supply of good quality, sustainable services, the Homecare Association submitted enquiries under Freedom of Information legislation to 340 public organisations which purchase homecare across the United Kingdom. These consisted of local authorities, Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts in Northern Ireland and NHS bodies. Each public organisation was asked to provide several pieces of information, including the prices (lowest, highest, average) it pays to independent and voluntary sector homecare providers for the provision of regulated homecare services, delivered to people aged 65 years or above in their own home, during a sample week in April 2021. The Homecare Deficit 2021 report presents the analysis of the data received, and thus exposes the continued deficit in funding for homecare services in the United Kingdom.
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Event
SEIPS in social care
Sam posted an event in Community Calendar
untilThe Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) encourages investigations across the NHS to apply SEIPS. This 3 hour masterclass will focus upon using SEIPS in Social Care. The SEIPS trainer Dr Dawn Benson has extensive experience of using and teaching SEIPS, as a Human Factors tool, in health and social care safety investigation. She will be joined in these masterclass sessions by clinical subject experts. Register -
EventuntilCare experienced young people are much more likely to experience poorer health, wellbeing, social and educational outcomes compared with the general population. These inequalities are not new, but were exacerbated by Covid-19 as care leavers experienced disrupted relationships and reduced access to support services. Specific groups of care leavers are likely to face additional disadvantages, such as those from ethnic minority backgrounds, unaccompanied refugee and asylum seeking children and/or disabled young people. Yet the health and health inequalities of young care leavers have largely been ignored within policy and practice. As part of AYPH’s youth health inequalities programme we reviewed the available evidence and undertook a youth engagement project with young people to draw together what we know. In this webinar you will hear directly from young people who will share their experiences of the barriers they face in leading healthy lives and accessing healthcare services. We will also highlight the latest available data on care leavers and health outcomes, demonstrating where inequalities exist for young people aged 10-25. During the event we will be launching two major publications that explore in more detail the role of care experience in understanding young people’s health, this will be the first opportunity to hear the learnings and recommendations from this research. The webinar is hosted jointly by the Association for Young People's Health and Coram Voice and will be co-chaired by a young person with experience on this topic. We will be joined by a range of expert speakers – more information to follow soon. Register for the webinar
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EventuntilCommunities are playing an increasingly important role in improving health and meeting the wellbeing needs of people locally, highlighted in part by their role in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Integrated care systems (ICSs) need to recognise the role communities can play in improving and sustaining good health, and as part of this they need to seek greater involvement with local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) groups at the place and neighbourhood level, where the link local communities is at its strongest. This conference will provide an opportunity to discuss the impact of community-led and person-centred approaches to improving health and wellbeing, and to explore what more can be done to build on community interventions, assets and solutions that developed as a response to the pandemic. It will also consider the challenges of demonstrating value and of working with communities to assess need and provide services. You will hear from community groups who have worked with others – including their ICS, local health system or local authority – to develop a collaborative approach to tackling health inequalities.
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EventThe UK continues to feel the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, both through its impact on the nation’s health, as well as the prolonged impact on the UK economy. Yet despite this, there isn’t enough attention on boosting population health, the NHS and social care to build resilience to future shocks and support economic recovery. For the 2022 REAL challenge lecture, Andy Haldane, Chief Executive of the RSA and former Chief Economist at the Bank of England, will explore the relationship between health and wealth. He will draw lessons from the pandemic and argue for a more holistic economic growth strategy where health and wealth are inextricably linked. The event will be chaired by Dr Jennifer Dixon, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation. Register
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EventuntilPopulation health is an increasingly clear and important priority for the health and care system and is key in addressing health inequalities. This is clear in the NHS Long Term Plan, in the 2022 Health and Care Act, and in the current and likely future policy landscape. A population health-led approach to health and care aims to improve physical and mental health outcomes, promote wellbeing and reduce health inequalities across an entire population. Whether you’re working in an integrated care system (ICS), primary care network, a national body, community group, or you’re someone with lived experience it is likely that you have been thinking about your own role in population health and how best you can help to improve the health and care of the people in your local area. This event from the King's Fund will bring together those working in the NHS, public health, local authorities, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, and local communities to consider how best they can join the dots between work that is already under way and how to support others in their efforts to improve population health. Register
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Content Article
As reported recently, the Scottish Healthcare Workers Coalition called upon the Scottish Government to reinstate 'universal masking' in health and social care settings. In this statement written in support of their campaign, an occupational safety and health practitioner, David Osborn, explains the legal requirements for risk assessments that the Government ought to have undertaken before reaching such a decision that exposes healthcare staff to the life-changing consequences associated with repeat Covid-19 infections. He also explains the legal duty of the Government to consult with workers before implementing changes that may affect their health and safety. Neither duty (risk assessment nor prior consultation with workers) appears to have been well met, putting the Scottish Government and Health Boards in breach of UK-wide health and safety law. -
Content ArticleThe Safe Care at Home Review is an important reminder that people with care and support needs may experience abuse and neglect, sometimes under the guise of ‘care’. Older people, or people with disabilities, may be particularly vulnerable to harm because of their dependence on others and the complexity of their care needs. They might rely on other people for physical, mental or financial support, and may face difficulties recognising or reporting harm. The review draws on a range of evidence, including the Home Office funded Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme, which has highlighted that one in six domestic homicides involved people who were cared for by, or caring for, the suspect.
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Content ArticlePersonalised Care will benefit up to 2.5 million people by 2024. It aims to give people the same choice and control over their mental and physical health that they have come to expect in every other aspect of their life. Personalised care is based on ‘what matters’ to people and their individual strengths and needs. This webpage by NHS England contains information about the following aspects of personalised care: Patient choice Shared decision making Patient activation and supported self-management Social Prescribing and community based support Personalised care and support planning Personal health budgets
