By Professor John Robertson OBA
Thanks once again to AR for alerting to me to this.
The Sunday Times today has a report on the state of an imaginary NHS UK and the declining provision of hospital beds is presented as a major problem, which it is, if you have not done so in response to a major shift toward properly assessed and supported care at home.
From People requiring a social care assessment and care at home services, published on December 17th 2024, by the Scottish Government:
The number of people estimated to be waiting on a social care assessment to enable them to live independently at home or in the community was 6,047 on 25 November 2024. The estimated number of people assessed and waiting for a care at home package was 3,122 on 25 November 2024
All things being equal, with 10 times the population, you might expect the figures for England to be around 60 000 and 31 000 respectfully.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the equivalent data is not easy to trace, but it’s not 60 000 waiting assessment but according to Carers UK, nearly 300 000! 50 times greater, 5 times pro rata!
The rest, assessed but still waiting, according to the Care Quality Commission, seems to be around 120 000, 40 or 4 times pro rata greater.
Finally, on hospital beds, as of March 2024, from Interweave Healthcare, NHS Scotland had a bed for every 403 people whereas for NHS England it was 433.
Sources:
https://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/press-releases/
Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/
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