Rosanne Bostock says politicians need to focus on social care and the problem of bed blocking in our hospitals.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have promised to sort out social care.

Yet in Keir Starmer’s recent speech about the NHS, he did not mention social care.

Social care is causing a hugely expensive problem with the NHS - people are not being looked after properly and the elderly are blocking NHS hospital beds.

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One way round funding social care would be to provide nursing homes attached to hospitals focusing on the elderly, not only with beds for those unable to go home after an operation, but also providing facilities for the elderly - exercise classes, diet advice, vaccines etc.

In order to fund this taxpayers on receiving the state pension who at present cease to pay National Insurance, should continue, maybe at a lower level of National Insurance.

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This would at a stroke free up beds in the hospitals and allow the NHS to focus on the disabled needing social care.

Rosanne Bostock

Oxford

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

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