The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) recently announced reforms and an independent commission to help improve adult social care.

As part of the plans to “transform” adult social care, the UK Government unveiled a new £86 million funding boost to the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) this financial year. This is in addition to the £86 million announced for the next financial year at the Autumn Budget 2024, taking the annual total for DFGs to £711 million.

As part of long-term reform of the adult social care system, the government wants to create a national care service underpinned by national standards.

As a first step, the government will launch an independent commission into adult social care, to be chaired by The Baroness Casey of Blackstock DBE CB, to inform the work needed to deliver this.

The commission, reporting to the Prime Minister, will make clear recommendations for how to rebuild the adult social care system to meet the current and future needs of the population.

Split over two phases, the commission will set out a vision for adult social care, with recommended measures and a roadmap for delivery.

The first phase, reporting in 2026, will identify the critical issues facing adult social care and set out recommendations for reform and improvement in the medium term.

It will recommend tangible, pragmatic solutions that can be implemented in a phased way to lay the foundations for a national care service. The recommendations of this phase will be aligned with the government’s spending plans, which will be set out at the Spending Review in spring.

The second phase, reporting by 2028, will make longer-term recommendations for the transformation of adult social care. It will build on the commission’s first phase to look at the model of care needed to address the UK’s ageing population, how services should be organised to deliver this, and how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system for all.

Reacting to the plans for social care reform, David Stockdale, Chief Executive of the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), commented: “The BHTA overall welcomes the government’s recent proposals for social care reform.

“The £86 million funding for DFGs is encouraging. Many of our members provide assistive products that facilitate life-changing home adaptations, so this additional funding means that more people can have access to these crucial pieces of equipment.

“However, the BHTA has previously expressed concern about the consequences of the increases in employer National Insurance Contributions and the National Living Wage on businesses.

“We again encourage the government to rethink the impact of these additional costs for businesses – which the government will rely on to deliver this additional activity within the DFG – so that wider health and social care services aren’t negatively impacted as a result.

“As for the independent commission, the government shouldn’t overlook the importance of healthcare and assistive technology products in helping people to remain independent and healthy. The right products provided in a timely manner can help avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, enable people to stay in their own homes for longer, and ease pressure off an overworked and under-resourced care sector.

“Our members provide the local expertise, products, and services required to help the government achieve its vision of a national care service that meets the needs of older and disabled people.  

“However, the timeline for the commission is a major concern. There is worry about what the impact of ‘kicking the can down the road’ will be for businesses supporting social care and what the landscape will look like if no action is taken until the commission’s final publication date of 2028. 

“We invite the government to engage with the BHTA and assistive technology community to see what transformational actions can be implemented now.”

The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) has responded to Lord Darzi’s recent independent investigation into the current performance of the NHS across England and the challenges facing the healthcare system.

The report outlines areas where the NHS is performing poorly, the key reasons behind this, and some suggestions to bring the NHS back to peak performance.

Reacting to the report, David Stockdale, Chief Executive of the BHTA, commented: “Lord Darzi’s report offers a refreshing perspective as the Government faces the realities of the NHS’s current challenges. The health service, its employees, and suppliers have been undervalued and underused for too long, which this report fully acknowledges.

“I’m particularly pleased to see the stated shift in focus from hospitals to community care. The BHTA stands ready and willing to support the NHS in accelerating this transition, as our members provide both the innovations and local expertise needed to usher in a new era of healthcare in the UK.”