Christina McAnea, of Unison, said: “If the social care system wasn’t underfunded to the point of collapse, older people could be helped before they hit crisis point.
“But with resources scarce, short visits have become the norm.
“Care workers are so rushed off their feet, they barely have time to administer basic care, let alone assess whether someone needs a greater degree of help.”
Royal College of Nursing chief executive Donna Kinnair said there simply was not enough nurses, pointing out the number working in the community was falling.
The new plan
Some £14m will be set aside to test the rapid response teams.
They will be trialled in:
- Warrington
- West Yorkshire
- Leicestershire
- Cornwall
- Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire
- South East London
- Norfolk and Suffolk
As well as guaranteeing rapid responses to crises, such as falls and minor infections, the aim is also to guarantee care packages within two days for hospital patients who are ready to be discharged from hospital.
Around one in 20 hospital beds is regularly taken by older patients medically fit to be released, but who have to be kept in because there is no community care available.
NHS chief executive Simon Stevens said: “The NHS working hand-in-glove in the community with council-funded social care services can be the difference between an older person, or someone with long-term health needs, spending a week or a month on a ward and not needing to go in, in the first place.”