Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Marie Rimmer and Liz McInnes

Tuesday 7th February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Marie Rimmer (St Helens South and Whiston) (Lab)]

7. What assessment he has made of the effect of changes to local authority social care budgets on demand for health services.

[Liz McInnes (Heywood and Middleton) (Lab)]

15. What assessment he has made of the effect of changes to local authority social care budgets on the provision of adequate health and social care services.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (David Mowat)]

The relationship between health and social care budgets is complex. A recent study by the University of Kent has shown that, for every pound spent on care, hospital expenditure falls by between 30p and 35p. The hon. Lady will also be aware that there has been an increase in delayed transfers of care over the past two years, which has resulted in an increase in the number of unavailable hospital beds. Our best estimate of that increase is around 0.7% of total NHS bed capacity due to the increase in social care delays.