Mark Garnier, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Wyre Forest expressed concern over a recent new report from the NHS Confederation and the Local Government Association warning that local councils are now having to cut social care as a direct result of the impact of NHS deficits.
In the nationwide survey, seven out of ten local authorities are withdrawing some services because of cuts in spending from NHS Trusts. It seems that many NHS organisations have stopped funding joint projects and referred patients onto social services which would normally be dealt with by hospitals. Councils, now faced with these extra costs, are being forced to reduce low level care needs, increase waiting times and cut funding from other budgets. What is worrying is that these funding cuts may feed through to higher council tax bills next year.
Worcestershire - and Wyre Forest in particular - has had more than its fair share of health service cuts. Most recently, the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust announced 720 job cuts as a result of its £30 million deficit. For the year to date, the WAHT is running a deficit of just under £5 million, whilst the Worcestershire Mental health Partnership NHS Trust is running at £1.6 million deficit.
In Worcestershire, the problem falls under two areas. Firstly, tighter hospital budgets mean that hospital administrators are keen to discharge patients as soon as possible. This means that the social care budget at County Hall picks up the bill for patients who receive financial aid earlier than previously.
Much more worryingly, there exists a pooled budget known as the section 31 budget. Under this arrangement, both the Worcestershire county council and the primary care trust jointly contribute to the funding of the provision of continuing health care. But with the NHS under massive pressure to cut costs, the primary care trust has already looked into reducing its contribution to these shared costs.
Speaking about the latest survey, Mark Garnier commented: "I find it staggering that in the 21st century, we can still have this appalling situation where our elderly and vulnerable are at risk as a direct result of government mismanagement. We see the NHS in crises whilst former health secretary Patricia Hewitt rambles on about the NHS having its best year ever.
"That this situation has developed is unforgivable. How is it that any decent society allows even the possibility to arise that our vulnerable may be at risk? And whilst this is going on, it seems that the Government's answer is to pass the financial buck to a local authority and increase the tax burden yet higher."
Mark Garnier concluded by saying: "As I watch this all this going on, and I see the NHS yet again being kicked around like a political football, I find myself ever more grateful and impressed by the tremendous work being done by those NHS workers on the frontline. It is these doctors and nurses that we must think about who work tirelessly under difficult conditions with uncertainty about their careers."