Memorandum by Macmillan Cancer Relief
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTH & SOCIAL
SERVICES (HSS 68)
3. HEALTH SELECT
COMMITTEE INQUIRY:
BACKGROUND
The Health Select Committee has undertaken to
inquire into the relationship between the NHS and local government
social services in this country. The Committee will consider how
changes could be made to improve services for individuals and
families and has outlined a number of suggested areas for consideration
in its terms of reference.
Pressures on health and social services have
increased over the past 20 years as more people are living longer
and the arrangements for their care have been changing. Whilst
the number of admissions to the NHS keeps rising, the number of
acute beds, and particularly those designated for elderly people
has fallen. Moreover, the length of stay in hospital for the majority
of patients has been drastically reduced and the need for wider,
more flexible and community-based care provision becomes ever
more relevant. As a recent Audit Commission report concluded,
"Health and social services are locked
in a vicious circle as admissions rise and lengths of stay shorten.
This circle can only be broken if health and social services commit
themselves to joint planning and investment in alternative services".
In short, a more holistic multi-disciplinary
approach is required to ensure that patients receive the most
appropriate care according to their needs.
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