Ambitions to bridge the gap between health and social care falling short, says SCIE

The ‘no man’s land’ that exists between health and social care because of support delays, confusion, and service fragmentation leaves too many people without the care and support they need to live well and independently.

The Government has repeatedly sought to address this through legislation. As this report makes clear, however, success has been limited. We know that ambitions have been unevenly realised, with persistent differences in people’s access to services, their experiences of those services, and the outcomes they achieve.

Improving how people navigate services must be a priority. This means ensuring information and advice are accessible and timely, and can support everyone to understand their rights and the options available to them. Adopting a holistic approach that considers someone’s journey across health and social care systems will also be essential—the Government’s own review of the NHS made clear that we need stronger community-based support to prevent needs escalating and to better sustain people’s health and wellbeing over time.

With demand for care continuing to rise and more people forced to self-fund their care because they don’t qualify for local authority support, the need for a national conversation on the future of social care has never been greater. The Casey Commission offers an opportunity to build an evidence base for a system that is fairer, more sustainable, and better able to support everyone, regardless of who they are and where they live, to lead fulfilling lives.