In 2019 The Kings Fund published the eight key problems facing social care

These included

• means testing: social care is not free at point of use like the NHS
• catastrophic costs: some people end up paying large amounts and even selling their homes to pay for care
• unmet need: many people go without the care and support they need
• quality of care: a wide spectrum of concerns, from 15-minute care visits to neglect and lack of choice and control
• workforce pay and conditions: staff are underpaid, leading to high vacancy rates and turnover
• market fragility: care providers go out of business or hand back contracts
• disjointed care: health and care is not integrated around the individual and causes issues such as delayed transfers of care from hospital
• the ‘postcode lottery’: there is unwarranted variation between places in access to care and its quality

“Now, the Covid-19 pandemic has shone an uncompromising light on the sector, its staff and the people of all ages who use its services. As the sector emerges slowly into a new normal, fearful of a second wave while still trying to make sense of the first, it’s time to take stock.  Analysis is difficult because of the  lack of up-to-date, quantitative data and the ongoing nature of the pandemic.  Nonetheless, in six of those eight areas, Covid-19 has brought significant change and, if anything, exacerbated these challenges.”

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