Recommendations & Conclusions
6 items
3
Recommendation
Thirty-Fifth Report - Introducing Integ…
Rejected
The Department has started taking some action to address workforce challenges in social care, but vacancies have increased by 50% in the last year and the number of people working in social care fell in 2021/22 for the first time in at least 10 years. The NAO report sets out …
Government response. The government disagrees with the committee’s recommendation to provide a breakdown of how it spent and what impact it achieved and to set out the underlying reasons and forecasts for social care vacancies. The department will publish additional information on …
HM Treasury
4
Recommendation
Thirty-Fifth Report - Introducing Integ…
Rejected
These reforms do nothing to address the longstanding tension caused by differences in funding and accountability arrangements between the NHS and social care. The Department, which has policy responsibility for both health and social care, is showing a worrying lack of leadership, and it is not clear who will intervene …
Government response. The government disagrees with the recommendation to publish guidance for ICSs on resolving joint working issues, stating that the existing structures and processes are designed to ensure partners support each other.
HM Treasury
11
Conclusion
Thirty-Fifth Report - Introducing Integ…
Rejected
There is a well-established interdependency between health and local government, with local authorities responsible for managing local social care markets. The stability and resilience of social services have a direct impact on the NHS. High-quality social care, if available, can keep people independent, healthy, and out of hospital.31 Despite the …
Government response. The government disagrees with the committee's recommendation, stating that the Health and Social Care Act 2022 is designed to ensure partners support each other and that they will take action if arrangements are not working.
HM Treasury
12
Conclusion
Thirty-Fifth Report - Introducing Integ…
Rejected
The oversight of ICSs largely focuses on the NHS elements, and we are concerned the wider system is being overlooked. NHS England has established a very detailed performance regime to monitor Integrated Care Boards’ contributions to NHS objectives. NHS England confirmed to us that it retains its power of intervention, …
Government response. The government disagrees with the Committee's recommendation, stating that the Health and Social Care Act 2022 is designed to ensure partners support each other and that they will take action if arrangements are not working.
HM Treasury
13
Recommendation
Thirty-Fifth Report - Introducing Integ…
Rejected
NHS England noted the importance of ICSs’ Integrated Care Boards working constructively with the full range of local partners, including local government, elected members, community groups and the voluntary sector.40 We highlighted the necessity of MPs being able to raise issues on behalf of their constituents who encounter problems with …
Government response. The government disagrees with the recommendation, stating that the Health and Social Care Act 2022 is designed to ensure partners support each other and resolve issues together, further reinforced by the NHS Act 2006's duties to co-operate.
HM Treasury
19
Recommendation
Thirty-Fifth Report - Introducing Integ…
Rejected
The Department told us numbers in the social care workforce were going in the right direction and that domiciliary care and care home workforces were expanding.70 However, written evidence sent to us by the National Care Forum highlights that, as of October 2022, there were 165,000 vacancies in the sector …
Government response. The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation, stating that they don't hold further information to explain the underlying reasons for social care vacancies and don't produce forecasts for vacancies.
HM Treasury