Relieving the crisis in acute care
This week the Chancellor delivered his speech to announce the much anticipated 2013 spending review. Health and social care is a key beneficiary, receiving a big shot in the arm which many will welcome.
The Chancellor announced that £2 billion is being diverted from the NHS to provide a new budget of £3.8 billion which the health service will share with local councils to organise care homes and domiciliary care services.
A key motivation behind this is to relieve the pressure on acute care services. It is widely held that the crisis of A&E being over-run and hospital beds being blocked by elderly patients is due to insufficient social care provision.
Some see it as politically motivated
Political strategists give some context by making the observation that there are 96 weeks to go until the next general election. The 2013 spending review sets the budgets for the 2015-16 financial year. The changes kick in just 1 month before the electorate go to the polls.
Consequently the review is seen by some as a key tool for winning votes in segments of the electorate targeted by the Conservatives…
So is the £3.8 billion budget for joining up social care just cynical electioneering or change to help improve the quality of life for thousands of elderly people caught in the system? Perhaps only time will tell…
Better care more efficiently delivered with QCS
Despite the increased spending power that councils will have when commissioning care services, it is far from carte blanche to write blank cheques. With services struggling to meet demand and the negative impact this is having on the care that is delivered, there is still a need for maximum efficiency.
QCS simply helps care providers to deliver better care from available budgets by optimising the processes which govern care quality. Problem areas which are pivotal to good care such as care planning, medications and infection control are all seamlessly integrated.
The QCS compliance management system drives better efficiency. This helps providers deliver care that is compliant and reduces costs by eliminating the need for registered managers or business owners to waste precious time writing and researching protocols, policies and procedures.
