In a new paper released today, The Social Care Market: Fixing a Broken System, Chris Skidmore MP explains why introducing direct payments as an option for social care could save around £1bn a year.
Adult social care has effectively operated as a market since the 1980s, which saw an expansion in the number of private care homes. The care sector is currently estimated by the Department of Health to be around £23 billion. However, the bewildering complexity of the system has led to inefficiencies – making it difficult for the market to anticipate and react properly to consumer demand. This is not only detrimental to individuals receiving care, but to the taxpayers on whom much of the cost of social care falls.
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