Opinion-in-brief: Social care loses out to its greedy older sibling
The investment into technology and digitisation announced in this week’s Budget is a big step in the right direction. However, this level of modernisation needs to extend into social care – particularly when it comes to reducing hospitalisations and freeing up much-needed beds in hospitals.
Through technology, policy and investment, the NHS and social care need to be integrated. As one can’t properly function without the other.
We simply cannot discharge people from hospital, or prevent them from being admitted in the first place, if we can’t provide effective care when they return home.
In the same way the NHS continues to digitalise, so too does social care, with a concerted shift towards innovation and data, and away from pen and paper – which much of the sector still relies on. This can’t be achieved without robust and strategic investment from the government.