Health and Social Care: Winter Update

Lord Bishop of Manchester Excerpts

Tuesday 21st January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for bringing her comments before the House and for acknowledging our efforts, direction and commitment, because this is not easy and, as she knows, will not happen overnight. However, we need to tackle delayed discharge, following the point made by my noble friend Lady Winterton, through the development of local partnership working between the NHS and social care and making sure that the right support is there to return home—if that is the best place for people—or for an intermediate arrangement. This should not be just an issue of hospital or home; sometimes people need facilities along that trajectory, because they have different needs and their conditions do not stay still. That is why it has to be local partnerships.

Every acute hospital has access to a care transfer hub which brings together professionals from the NHS and social care to manage discharges of people with more complex needs who need extra support. We will shortly publish the better care fund policy framework, which will drive greater impact from over £9 billion of public spending on integrated care. Reducing delayed discharge will be a key part of that. I heard the request from the noble Baroness. She will understand that we have to take account of the financial situation we inherited, but we also need innovation, creativity and practicality to find answers to these very long-standing challenges.

[The Lord Bishop of Manchester]

My Lords, the nurse who was attacked and injured at work recently and who has been kindly mentioned several times already today is a member of one of our Oldham congregations. I assure your Lordships’ House that she and her family remain very much in our prayers in Manchester.

Research by the National Churches Trust published last year shows that the ministry of the UK’s church buildings saves the NHS £8.4 billion every year. Church projects help keep many people out of hospital; they support others when discharged. Other faith communities do similar work and many of them do it in partnership with us.

Secondly, the problem in winter—even in the balmy climate of Manchester—is that it gets cold. Part of the work to prevent serious illness lies in keeping people warm and offering them social contexts where some early signs of declining health can be picked up before they become too serious. Many of my churches in Manchester, along with other places of worship all across the nation, take part in the Warm Welcome Campaign which does precisely that. They are open maybe for a morning and offer a free lunch as well as a warm space where people can just socialise and not worry about their heating bills.

Does the Minister agree with me that places of worship make a vital contribution to the nation’s health and save the NHS money? Will she not only join me in thanking them but ensure that those of her ministerial colleagues who are presently considering whether the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme should be extended beyond the present financial year are apprised of these facts?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I made a call for creativity, and I compliment the right reverend Prelate on his creativity; I will certainly pass on his comments to my colleagues. I am delighted to agree with him about the importance not just of places of worship but of communities, including faith communities. As the right reverend Prelate said, we can find the finest examples of community provision which support the NHS and social care through churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship. I pay tribute to and thank all those that do this. Of course, this is overwhelmingly done by volunteers, and I pay tribute to all of the volunteers in faith communities and beyond.