County councillor shares concerns about funding adult social care amid £12m shortfall

The Ashfield Independent councillor claims Nottinghamshire County Council confirmed their Adult Social Care Department have a rising multi-million pound investment shortage because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Martin claims the figure were confirmed in a Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee meeting where the council allegedly admitted they ‘didn’t know’ how many NHS patients have been taken in by care homes to free up hospital beds during the crisis.

The local authority has spent £12 million over their initial £36.6 million budget in lockdown.

Councillor David Martin said: “I have serious concerns about the future sustainability of this service.

"Right at the start of lockdown – the Government stated that not a single council would be out of pocket for providing additional services.

"Now we find out that the Conservative Government have simply have not kept this promise.

"Our council’s social care staff have worked miracles throughout this lockdown.

"In some cases however, it seems they have been working with one hand tied behind their back.

"Our council is facing a funding crisis and haven’t received fair funding from the Government.”

Despite the government awarding the council £22 million to tackle the crisis in adult social care on March 11, the local authority’s share has now gone down to £14.6 million.

Councillor Martin added: “Our county council have been failed both financially and operationally by this Government.

"The Government reduced the discharge time from hospitals from 48 hours to 3 hours before putting into place proper testing procedures.

"We simply had no idea whether discharged patients had contracted coronavirus – yet we were told to accept them back without question into our care homes.

"This council simply had no idea whether we were putting other care home residents at risk.

“It is imperative that lessons are learned and the county council make the case for additional funding to meeting the £12 million shortfall.

"Adult Social Care was in crisis before the coronavirus lockdown but the situation is far worse now.”

Nottinghamshire County Council have declined to comment.

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