A Scarborough Social Care leader has written to the Prime Minister, urging him to address the pressing issue of over 1.6 million vulnerable and disabled individuals living without the necessary support. Mike Padgham, who chairs The Independent Care Group (ICG), is adamant about the need for change, declaring, "Enough is enough. Too many people are living without the care they need to enjoy a decent quality of life and that's a scandal we should be ashamed of as a nation."
Padgham's open letter directly appeals for the Prime Minister to acknowledge the dire situation and take action, emphasizing the urgent need for conversations between social care providers and government officials to devise effective solutions. Highlighting the impact of insufficient funding, he stated, "Without proper support for social care and the creation of a sector capable of delivering care where and when it's required, the NHS will remain under severe strain."
Currently, many individuals find themselves trapped without access to adequate social care, often leading to hospitalizations simply because there are no services available to assist them at home. Padgham pointed out the personal nature of this crisis: “This is about our mothers and fathers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters. This is not just numbers; these are our loved ones who deserve care.”
He also expressed disappointment over the government's previously proposed reforms on social care funding, urging the new administration to be as bold with reform as Nye Bevan was when he established the National Health Service (NHS) back in 1948. Padgham is pressing for significant governmental commitment and investment aimed at revamping the social care system, changing the narrative around its treatment and funding.
“If we're to avoid sacrificing the standard of care for the sake of budget cuts, we must switch resources from the NHS to social care,” he explained. The reasoning is clear—as investments are made to improve staffing numbers and wages for care workers, such measures could alleviate hospital overcrowding, thereby saving the National Health Service money over time.
Referring to the recent decision by Labour to abandon its commitment to cap social care costs, Padgham stated, “While we still hope for reform, we cannot ignore the precedent set by decades of funding cuts resulting in the current crisis.” He characterized the social care sector as having suffered from prolonged financial neglect, which has culminated over 30 years of inadequate funding and staffing shortages.
Beyond merely expressing concern, Padgham insists on concrete actions from the government: “It's time to put words to action. We must properly reward our care staff, many of whom have not seen significant pay raises for years, even as they continued to provide tireless service during tough times like the pandemic.”
Padgham, who has been actively engaged with the social care community, has extended his hand not only to the Prime Minister but also to the leader of the Labour Party, inviting them to collaborate with care providers to address the existing crisis. He elaborated, "We are not here to assign blame; instead, we stand ready to lend our knowledge and experience to help craft solutions for those entrusted with our nation's care."
Overall, Padgham’s communication serves as both a compelling plea and informed challenge, one he hopes will resonate with government officials who have the power to cultivate real change within the struggling care system. He emphasized the urgency for the government to start prioritizing social care reform and to approach the upcoming budget with this vision at the forefront.
