2025 Spending Review: The NHS can’t thrive without better social services
The Government is listening to the sector and recognises that the NHS can’t thrive without better social services.
The Spending Review has confirmed plans to increase funding by £4bn for adult social care in 2028-29, compared to 2025-26. This includes an increase to the minimum contribution made by the NHS to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with the Department for Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) Spending Review settlement. This will support the sector to improve adult social care and further details will follow.
We have fantastic people working in the care system in this country, who go above and beyond to deliver exceptional services to the people and families they support.
Social care services for vulnerable people of all ages and those with disabilities, aren’t a nice-to-have, they are essential to our way of life. It is a statutory obligation for local authorities to meet the needs of vulnerable and disabled people, but without the means to award reasonable fee uplifts to providers, they can’t do anything to help.
Care providers have been frustrated by some recent Government interventions, which have added to the challenges they are facing. For example, the recent changes to immigration rules will cause current worker shortages to worsen and benefit cuts will increase demand. The social care sector simply can’t operate without the dedicated care staff teams and sustainable funding to deliver services.
To address the challenges facing the sector, Baroness Louise Casey is leading an independent commission to build consensus on reform of adult social care. The first phase will report in 2026 and focus on how to make the most of existing resources to improve the system. Reform can’t come soon enough.