Social care and the healthcare postcode lottery

A new report by the Public Accounts Committee⁽¹⁾ is highlighting the continuing postcode lottery in people’ access to care. It emphasises the problems extend beyond hospitals- to NHS community services, and shortfalls in social care.

The social care aspect is one already frustrating disability equipment suppliers and manufacturers, including the UK’s leading stairclimber provider, AAT GB. 

"black holes" where people do not have access to equipment, services

Across England, there are “black holes” where certain types of equipment or processes that can play a key role in social care provision, expediating hospital discharge and enabling someone to remain in their home without reliance on paid care, are not even considered.

Yet that same equipment or process is proven to reduce pressure on the social care workforce and deliver better quality of life for patients/clients elsewhere.

AAT believes the postcode lottery in social care is due to a number of factors.

These include lack of knowledge about the aids/processes available, a department or authority aversion to trying something new/risk aversion, individual bias, focus on individual departmental budgets without looking at the bigger picture of cost-saving benefits.

call for new direction from "top down"

“Time and again over the years we hear of a social care team trying something different, that has been proven to deliver positive outcomes, that others laud as exemplar. But there is no drive- from the top down- to adopt the equipment or process on a regional or national scale,” says Peter Wingrave, AAT Director. 

“We will be networking with other providers to utilise and combine experiences, reasoning and guidance, and develop a cohesive way forward. The COVID pandemic proved that when in crisis, we will dare to use different approaches. Our health & social care IS in crisis. There are proven ways to help solve the problem, that don’t require more money, just a change of attitude. It’s time to dare to try them!”

AAT is the UK’s #1 provider of stairclimbers/stairclimbing wheelchairs, that address safe stairway access without any installation nor disruption to the home environment. The equipment can be re-allocated to others in need within days, thus having a direct impact on hospital discharge where mobility/stairs in a house or flat is an issue. Full details are available on the company’s website www.aatgb.com.

Reference:^{(1)https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/198054/postcode-lottery-in-urgent-and-emergency-nhs-care-highlighted-by-pac-report/}