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10
Dec 2024
Adult social care finances “precarious” due to hospital discharge costs
A rise in the number of patients being discharged from hospital still in need of care is putting serious financial pressure on North Yorkshire, a report has revealed.
Public health bosses at North Yorkshire Council say discharges from hospitals into the social care system have remained high since the covid pandemic and are increasing.
An overspend of £7.7m is now forecast in the council’s health and adult services department — up from a £3.8m overspend predicted earlier this year.
The issue was outlined this week for members of NYC’s audit commission in a report on risks and challenges faced by the authority.
Richard Webb, corporate director for health and adult services, said his department’s financial position remained “precarious” despite ongoing work to cut costs.
Adult social care continues to face significant financial pressures largely due to increasing activity, particularly with regard to continuing high levels of hospital discharges and community case work.
The senior officer said people getting hospitalised because of Covid and then needing further care after hospital was one of the reasons for the increase in costs.
He added:
One of the legacies of the pandemic is the continued pressure in social care as a result of increased hospital discharges.
These are much higher than pre-pandemic levels and continue to increase.
Hospital discharge activity averaged 15.4 discharges per day during quarter two, which compares with 14.1 per day at this point last year.
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The report revealed that the county was benefitting from a national upturn in staff recruitment in social care.
This was being driven by a rise in international recruitment following the introduction of a care worker visa route in 2022.
Changes to immigration policy, including the removal of the eligibility to bring dependents, would however make relocation to the UK much less desirable.
Issues arising from the use of foreign staff included language barriers and cultural differences, and workers at risk of human slavery practices.
The biggest challenge to the social care workforce was absence from work due to ill health, the report concluded.
The number of days lost due to sickness per FTE for 23/24 was 13.56, which was above the target of eight days per FTE and increased from 11.5 days lost per FTE the previous year.
Mr Webb said:
The main reason for absence continues to be stress, depression and anxiety which has been consistent across the year, accounting for just over a quarter of all absences, followed by musculoskeletal problems,” Mr Webb said.
The council is developing a new attendance management policy which council chiefs hope will “bring together a more focussed and consistent management of absence across the new council.
New wellbeing passports will be issued in a bid to support staff back to work earlier.
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