Health and Social Care Secretary Therese Coffey has announced that the government has launched a new plan to improve care to patients over the winter.
£500 million worth of funding is to be injected into adult social care through the Our Plan for Patients strategy, in order to get people out of hospitals and into social care support. This will be complimented by the Adult Social Care Discharge Fund, which aims to speed up the safe discharge of patients as well as helping to recruit and retain care workers.
The announcement also detailed how the plan would allow local health and care partners will be able to decide how they should use the social care funding, whilst £15 million worth of funding to help local areas to support care providers who have been recruited internationally, with visa support, accommodation and pastoral support.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Therese Coffey, said:
“Patients and those who draw on care and support are my top priority and we will help them receive as much care as quickly and conveniently as possible.
“That is why we are publishing Our Plan for Patients, which will help empower and inform people to live healthier lives, while boosting the NHS’ performance and productivity.
“It sets out a range of commitments for our health service, ensuring we create smoother pathways for patients in all parts of health and care.”
Alongside the improvements on the experience for patients, more support staff are to be recruited, pharmacists are to receive new roles and telephone systems are set to be upgraded.
