Boss calls for joined-up thinking to link health and social care sectors

A Sutton Coldfield-based care services firm has described a Government £200 million scheme to support short-term care placements as a ‘sticking plaster.’

Tinga Umera, director of Nexus Care Services, based at Mitre Court, Lichfield Road, also criticised the Government for announcing it as ‘new’ money, when in fact it has been diverted from existing healthcare budgets.

The funding, which was announced on January 30 by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, will pay for short-term care placements and will fund maximum stays of up to four weeks per patient until the end of March.

The move is designed to free up hospital beds so that people can be admitted more quickly from A&E to wards.

Mr Umera said: “Once again, the Government has announced ‘new’ money which has come from existing healthcare budgets

“Instead of looking to construct a joined-up approach linking the health and social care sectors, as well as working with private-sector providers such as Nexus to ensure a joined-up approach, they have merely put a sticking plaster on the issue.”

Nexus Care Services advocates a person-centred approach in doing as much as possible to maintain the individual receiving care, remaining in their home, and receiving support and care there for as long as possible.

“All too often the overarching trend is to move people from their long-term home into a care or nursing home after they had a spell in hospital. In placing these people in short-term care for four weeks or so, the government are simply trying to find a quick fix to negative headlines, rather than doing what is best for older people needing care,” Mr Umera added.

Nexus Care Services provide visited and live-in care across Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Lichfield & Cannock and Burntwood and further into Staffordshire.

For more information on Nexus Care please visit; http://www.nexuscareservices.co.uk or call us on 0121 308 2906.