UK: 70,000 Face Death as They Wait for Adult Social Care

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In a report published in The Guardian, nearly 70,000 people in England are likely to die waiting for access to adult social care before the Boris Johnson changes come into force, according to an analysis the Labor says “exposes a gaping flaw” in the plan.

Criticism is hitting the British PM hard after he announced a 1.25% tax to be paid by workers and businesses in an attempt to resolve the social care crisis he had promised to fix more than two years ago.

His move was condemned by opposition parties, thinktanks, and some Conservatives, who warned it would disproportionately hit the poorer and younger and would not tackle the care seekers' urgent situation.

Ahead of a bill to be debated in Parliament on Tuesday, estimates have been drawn up showing that 69,950 adults are likely to die waiting for social care before the £86,000 cap on costs is introduced in October 2023.

Moreover, 72,883 adults are also likely to have died while awaiting social care in the 26 months between July 2019 and this month in which details were finally released.

The figures came from England's NHS adult social care activity and finance report. A mean annual number for 2020-21 of 33,577, or 2,798 a month, was identified, based on the previous three years’ figures: 33,755 in 2019-20, 34,860 in 2018-19, and 32,115 in 2017-18.

Labor said if the rate of people dying while waiting for adult social care continued over the following 25 months to October 2023, the number would total 69,950.

It is worth noting that this week, Johnson comfortably won a vote on the new levy. Just five Tories voted against the proposal, while 36 abstained. The motion was to allow the government to make tax changes, which will now be carried out under the health and social care levy bill to be debated and almost certainly passed on Tuesday.