“Social care funding has become the ghost of this election campaign,” says The King’s Fund

The King’s Fund has issued its response to The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto, which was launched by Nick Clegg in south London this week.

“Like the other two main parties, the Lib Dems do not address the significant and growing pressures facing social care services. Social care funding has become the ghost at the feast of this election campaign,” said Chris Ham, chief executive of The King’s Fund.

The King’s Fund has issued its response to The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto, which was launched by Nick Clegg in south London this week.

“Like the other two main parties, the Lib Dems do not address the significant and growing pressures facing social care services. Social care funding has become the ghost at the feast of this election campaign,” said Chris Ham, chief executive of The King’s Fund.

He acknowledges that even though it doesn’t address social care funding, the additional £8bn a year called for in the Five Year Forward View is “welcome”.

“However, the detail behind the pledge indicates that most of this new funding will not be available until the latter half of the parliament, so it will not address the immediate financial pressures facing the NHS,” he said.

“The Liberal Democrats have led the way in pushing mental health. While they are right to prioritise spending on mental health and community services, holding back most of the £8bn funding increase until 2017/18 will create an unsustainable squeeze on acute services in the meantime,” Ham concluded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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