Better Care Fund renewed for 2019 to 2020
Renewed commitment to health and care integration, with 拢6.4 billion in聽funding聽available through the Better Care Fund.
Ministers聽have confirmed that the Better Care聽Fund聽will be renewed for 2019 to 2020, bringing the pooled聽funding聽to over 拢6.4 billion.
The planning requirements published on 18 July will reduce the overall reporting burden on local partnerships聽while improving the measurement and effectiveness of the聽Better聽Care聽Fund.
The fund provides financial support for councils and NHS organisations to jointly plan and deliver local services. It enables people to leave hospital sooner to get the聽care聽they need at home.
Social care related delays to patients being sent home from hospital have聽been nearly halved since February 2017聽following multi-billion government investment in integrating health and social聽care,聽the equivalent to freeing up聽almost聽1,200聽NHS beds.
The聽fund聽has been effective in:
- helping to keep people living independently at home
- providing joined-up reablement services
- reducing delayed discharges across the system
- achieving closer working between the NHS and social聽care聽services
This builds on the 鈥檚 aims to create a more integrated and collaborative health and聽care聽system.
Minister for Care Caroline Dinenage said:
No one should be stuck in hospital when their treatment has ended 鈥� it鈥檚 not fair to patients or their families and places huge pressure on our hardworking NHS staff. The聽Better聽Care聽Fund聽is an important part of ending these unnecessary waits in hospital, joining up councils and the health service for the benefit of patients.聽
Thanks to this government鈥檚 multi-billion pound investment the聽fund聽has聽significantly聽reduced聽delays to discharging patients. We must continue to work together to improve services and give people the best possible experiences of聽care, a crucial part of the NHS Long Term Plan.
Local Government Minister, Rishi Sunak MP, said:
We鈥檙e determined to improve the way social care services and the NHS work together to help society鈥檚 most vulnerable people.
The Better Care Fund has made a real difference by enabling more people to be cared for at home sooner after treatment, freeing up much-needed hospital beds. This is testament to the hard work of local authorities, the NHS and social care providers working together.
We remain committed to supporting local collaboration so that health and care services continue to improve.