UK ‘facing social care gap without systemic improvements’

The number of older people in need of social care is increasing at a rapid pace, creating a growing need for service improvements.

This is according to a new report from the thinktank IPPR, which revealed that more people will require care than the number of family carers available from 2017 onwards. By 2030, around 230,000 older people in England who more than 20 hours of care a week could be left without family to help.

In order to counteract this trend, the government has been urged to improve social and community care provisions, in line with countries such as Germany, Japan and Australia.

This might include establishing neighbourhood networks for older people to give and receive support, housing public services for different age groups under one roof and investing in community groups in the worst-performing areas of the country.

Clare McNeil, IPPR senior research fellow, said: "Britain needs to build new community institutions capable of sustaining us through the changes ahead and to adapt the social structures already in place."

Other thinktanks such as The King's Fund have previously called for enhanced home and social care in order to help reduce pressures on hospitals and GPs.