Where are the measures to deal with the ticking time bomb in the NHS and Social Care system?

So we now know what is in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement – and it underpins the conclusion of this recent article:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/22/social-care-system-needs-rescue-package-save-nhs

In short, ‘the care system remains underfunded, under-skilled and undervalued by the rest of society’ .

As the article suggests, the consequences of continued inaction and denial will surely be an onslaught of legal challenges against Local Authorities as it becomes clear that they cannot fulfil their duties under the Care Act. Hospital beds will be filling up this winter with people who could and should be receiving care and support at home. Those who can afford to pay for their own care and support will get by, but what about the many who cannot?

Richard Murray, Director of Policy for The King’s Fund, commented:

‘The lack of extra money for social care funding in particular means we are likely to see an already threadbare safety net stretched even more thinly. This will impact on some of the most vulnerable people in society and so goes against the government’s commitment to creating a country that works for everyone. While the increase to the national living wage is welcome, it will add to the costs faced by local authorities and social care providers, making an already fragile market even more unstable.’

So what do we do? Higher taxes everyone? Or increasing chaos for both the NHS and Social Care provision? Is there a third way?