Social Care News

New data on Wales' ageing population prompts renewed calls for politicians to tackle social care's 'perfect storm'

Recent data on Wales' ageing population has led to renewed calls from social care providers to boost the importance of the social care sector to one of national importance.

The Measuring Inequalities report published by Public Health Wales on July 28 confirmed Wales' growing and ageing population with its consequent impact on health and social care providers.

By 2036, according to the report, there will be more than 184,000 people aged 85 years and over in Wales. That equates to a rise of 145 per cent on the figure in 2011.

This has led to more calls to the Welsh Government to tackle the 'perfect storm' hitting the social care sector.

Last January, Care Forum Wales chairman Mario Kreft sounded a stark warning on the future of a social care sector. He spoke of a combination of years of inadequate funding and the requirement for care homes and domiciliary care companies to fund the – albeit justified – National Living Wage without any idea where the money was coming from, which is threatening the viability of many care providers.

Six months on from his warning – and with the new Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 now enacted and Labour again in power in Cardiff Bay following Assembly elections – Mr Kreft remains pessimistic.

An ageing population means that in 2036, even if the majority of us are living healthier lives and can remain independent for longer, there is likely to be continued and increased demand for residential and nursing homes places.

'Welsh Government needs to act' – social care at tipping point

Mr Kreft has again said he believes social care is at a tipping point in 2016 and that the new Welsh Government needs to act.

“Labour’s manifesto (for the recent Assembly elections) very clearly stated that they saw social care as a sector of national importance. To me, the suggestion there is that it is as important as say, road and rail,” he said.

“We need a sustainable NHS that people can flow through, and this is where the care sector comes in.

“But the pressure on the NHS today in Wales is directly affected, negatively, by a lack of foresight and planning in social care policy in Wales.”

He claims that too often, the NHS – in the form of health boards – and councils do not talk, let alone work together on delivering social care, that the current system is “dysfunctional” and that the aforementioned manifesto statement is not being delivered.

“The reality is that fewer care beds are opening and more are closing,” said Mr Kreft, who warned that the result is pressure being put back on the NHS.

“The flow back is into the NHS and until we can make health boards work with councils and providers, and get regulators on board, that will continue.”