NHS challenges due to ‘failure of successive governments to address social care’

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. I am taking urgent action to reduce pressure on the health service, including investing an additional £200 million to enable the NHS to immediately buy up beds in the community to safely discharge thousands of patients from hospital and free up hospital capacity, on top of the £500 million we’ve already invested to tackle this issue Health Secretary Steve Barclay Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, which represents independent adult social care providers, said ministers “never, ever understand that they should learn from their mistakes”, and that he is not clear on how the latest plan differs from the previous initiative. “I am taking urgent action to reduce pressure on the health service, including investing an additional £200 million to enable the NHS to immediately buy up beds in the community to safely discharge thousands of patients from hospital and free up hospital capacity, on top of the £500 million we’ve already invested to tackle this issue.” Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said “the front door to the NHS is broken”. “We actually need more GPs, and Labour’s got a fully costed, fully funded workforce plan to deliver more GPs, but we might want to change the way in which GPs are employed.” Without investment in staff, providing more facilities – whether it’s more beds in care homes or hospitals – won’t make a difference Patricia Marquis, RCN England RCN England director Patricia Marquis said the “aspiration in this policy is right”. “Without investment in staff, providing more facilities – whether it’s more beds in care homes or hospitals – won’t make a difference.