Will the government’s £12billion extra for the NHS and Social Care significantly improve the real quality of care?

Or will it add costs onto Essex County Council and result in higher council tax?

At first glance, the new Health and Social Care levy appears radical and attractive. Closer examination reveals it does not meaningfully improve the extent and standard of care that will be needed in the coming years.

Less than one in every six pounds of the money raised will go to social care in the first three years of the plan.

Of course, the NHS must be funded to deal with the waiting list backlog, but for the Government to claim the extra money will both do that and is a sustainable plan to transform social care is dubious to say the least.

Even the Health Secretary has stated that what happens after three years is uncertain and there must be a general election by 2024.

The social care sector needs a real funding boost now.

There are serious concerns about whether the social care ‘plan’ will do anything to reduce the funding gap between council-funded and privately-funded residents in the same care home.

It offers little to improve the training, retention and pay for hard-pressed carers who struggled during the pandemic and does not make provision or allowance of those being cared for in their own homes.

Most of the money raised is through National Insurance which has a relatively high impact on lower-income workers and will act as a jobs tax on local businesses across Essex.

Furthermore, it is unlikely to reduce the serious national shortage of care staff at a time when workers who qualify for Universal Credit are about to lose £1,000 pa.

Will Essex County Council speak out about what appears to be a “funding mirage” and the flaws in this plan, that could let down the real needs of many elderly and vulnerable residents?

Tom Walsh

Independent Braintree District Councillor, Coggeshall ward