Handouts '˜not a sustainable solution' to Sunderland winter pressures


The Department of Health and Social Care has allocated more than £1.5million to the city to help it cope in the coming months.
But the handout has been criticised for failing to tackle the real funding problems facing councils.
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Hide AdCoun Geoff Walker, cabinet member for health and social care, said: “The city council welcomes the recent announcement of additional funding of £1.5million.
“However, this falls short of addressing the inherent budget pressures being experienced in adult social care, both nationally and locally.
“The allocation of one-off monies by the Government to address what are ongoing cost pressures is not a sustainable solution in the longer term.
“Sunderland, along with other councils, is facing considerable cost pressures because of budget cuts and rising demand for all types of social care – it would urge the Government to address this.”
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Hide AdThe adult social care winter funding, which was announced at the beginning of October, is a pot of £240million intended to help local authorities in England through one of their most demanding periods of the year.
From this, £1,567,778 has been earmarked for Sunderland – the second biggest allocation of any of the other 12 North East local authorities.
According to the government, the cash is supposed to help pay for:
* home care packages to help patients get out of hospital quicker reablement packages to support workers helping patients with everyday tasks and mobility
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Hide Ad* home adaptations, such as adapting a shower room for a patient with limited movement
North East councils by adult social care winter funding allocation:
County Durham: £2,822,376
Sunderland: £1,567,778
Northumberland: £1,521,452
Newcastle: £1,500,831
Gateshead: £1,133,285
North Tyneside: £1,031,077
South Tyneside: £915,260
Stockton-on-Tees: £845, 239
Middlesbrough: £757,937
Redcar and Cleveland: £720,225
Darlington: £501,172
Hartlepool: £501,123
James Harrison, Local Democracy Reporting Service