It is deeply worrying that delayed transfers of care attributed to social care have increased by almost 10,000 since last year – Barbara Keeley

Barbara
Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Social Care, commenting on
the latest delayed transfer of care figures, said:

“Over
the past seven years the Tories have presided over a crisis in social care.
Today’s delayed transfer of care figures show that crisis is still getting
worse on their watch.

“It
is deeply worrying that delayed transfers of care attributed to social care
have increased by almost 10,000 since last year and have doubled in the last
three years.  We know that keeping older and vulnerable patients in
hospital longer than needed poses significant risks to their morale, mobility
and to their likelihood of contracting hospital-acquired infections. Under this
Government these risks are increasing.

“The
Tory solution of threatening to punish those councils struggling with social
care is not the answer. Taking funding away from councils will only lead to
worsening quality and safety issues in care. Rather than threatening councils,
the Tories need to match Labour’s commitment and provide urgent additional
funding for social care.”