A hospital chairman has warned that if a controversial tax rise does not go ahead, the social care system could come under yet more pressure.
England’s social care system - which supports vulnerable adults and children with their every day living - has for years been struggling to cope with the demands imposed by an ageing population.
The government’s proposed increase in national insurance (NI) is supposed to help resolve the crisis, but several Conservative MPs are threatening to rebel against the rise.
Prime minister Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak recently pledged to push ahead with the increase.
The warning against the consequences of a government defeat on the issue came at a Tuesday meeting of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s (QEH) board of directors, at which member David Dickinson said he was “really pleased” by some of the "creative" initiatives taking place across Norfolk to address the increasing difficulties in providing social care - such as the establishment of a care hotel in Norwich.
In response, trust chairman professor Steve Barnett - who is leaving the trust for a new role in April - said: “Yes and I guess we await to see whether the mooted rise in national insurance is going to take place.
“If that does of course, we understand that funds associated with that are to be targeted at social care.
“If that doesn’t occur, then I think we are going to be left with the question of how we resolve this move to offering greater and more joined up social care.”
From April of this year, employees, employers and the self-employed will all pay 1.25p more in the pound for NI.
And from April 2023, that increase will be collected separately from NI, which will return to its current rate.
Instead, the extra tax will be collected from that point as a new Health and Social Care Levy.
This levy - unlike NI - will also be paid by state pensioners who are still working.
The government has said the changes are expected to raise £12bn a year, with the funds initially used to relieve pressure on the NHS and its post-Covid-backlog, before being moved into the social care system.
The two are closely interlinked, because inadequate social care provision can cause ‘bed-blocking’ in hospitals, when people are well enough to go home, but not able to live independently.
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