The funding comes from the £5 billion COVID-19
fund announced by the Chancellor in last week’s
budget.
£1.6 billion will go to local authorities to help them
respond to other coronavirus (COVID-19) pressures across all
the services they deliver. This includes increasing support
for the adult social care workforce and for services helping
the most vulnerable, including homeless people.
£1.3 billion will be used to enhance the NHS discharge
process so patients who no longer need urgent treatment can
return home safely and quickly.
The funding will cover the follow-on care costs for adults in
social care, or people who need additional support, when they
are out of hospital and back in their homes, community
settings, or care settings.
Enhancing the NHS discharge process will help free up 15,000
hospital beds across England and ensure more staff have
capacity to treat people needing urgent care, including those
being cared for with coronavirus.
This funding is part of the government’s commitment to ensure
NHS and social care system, and other public services, have
all the resources they need during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The government will continue to monitor pressures in the NHS
and local government and will keep reviewing future funding.
Health and Social Care Secretary said:
Our NHS and social care colleagues are at the heart of
protecting the most vulnerable during the coronavirus
outbreak, and the whole country is tremendously grateful
for their commitment during this challenging time.
This funding will help the NHS and social care services in
our communities to rise to this once in a generation
challenge by allowing the NHS to do what it needs to, and
help move people out of hospital as soon as possible to get
them back home with the right support.
We are clear that we will do whatever it takes to protect
lives and protect our NHS.
Chancellor of the Exchequer said:
I’ve been clear that the NHS and other vital public
services will receive whatever they need to protect people
from coronavirus.
Our £5 billion budget response fund is now being used to
free up more beds in hospitals and ensure some of our most
vulnerable people are getting the care they need. The
government will continue to lay out comprehensive and
coordinated responses to get this country through this
situation.
