Meta Description: While the NHS is set to receive billions in new funding, the UK’s underfunded social care sector remains in crisis. Experts warn that ignoring social care could undermine progress in the health system.

NHS to Get Billions in New Funding

The UK government is reportedly preparing to announce a substantial funding package for the National Health Service (NHS), aimed at reducing patient backlogs, improving emergency services, and stabilizing staffing levels. Sources close to Whitehall suggest that the boost could be in the region of £4–6 billion, making it one of the most significant injections of cash into the NHS in recent years.

Health Secretary ministers are expected to frame the funding as a critical investment in the recovery of the NHS after years of strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic pressures.

But not everyone is celebrating.

UK Social Care Crisis: A Sector in Urgent Need

While the NHS dominates headlines and public attention, social care in the UK is facing a severe and growing crisis. Care homes and home care providers are struggling to recruit and retain staff due to low pay and limited career progression. Many have been forced to shut down or reduce services, leaving elderly and vulnerable people without adequate support.

Social care funding crisis UK: Janet Thomas, a care home manager in Birmingham, paints a stark picture:

“We’re losing staff to supermarkets because they offer better pay and more respect. Our residents are like family, but we can’t keep up without help.”

Health and Social Care: Interdependent Yet Unequally Funded

The divide between NHS healthcare and social care funding is not new, but it’s growing more unsustainable. Hospital leaders frequently report that “bed-blocking”—where patients medically ready for discharge remain in hospital due to a lack of social care—is one of the main reasons for overcrowded A&E departments and canceled procedures.

NHS and social care integration: Dr. Rajiv Malhotra, an A&E consultant in London, said:

“People think of hospitals as the whole system, but we can’t move patients out if the social care system isn’t there to receive them. It’s like trying to empty a bath without opening the drain.”

Broken Promises on Social Care Reform

Despite repeated political pledges—most notably by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who promised to “fix social care once and for all”—there has been little meaningful reform. White Papers have come and gone, and while there are pilot programs and local innovations, a national strategy remains elusive.

UK social care reform 2025: Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said:

“We’ve heard warm words and grand plans, but social care is still the poor relation. There’s no parity of esteem between health and care.”

Economic Impact of Underfunding Social Care

Beyond humanitarian concerns, the lack of investment in social care has economic consequences. When families are forced to leave work to care for elderly relatives, or when people go without support and end up in emergency care, it adds costs elsewhere in the system.

Economic cost of social care underfunding: A 2024 report by the Health Foundation estimated that every £1 not spent on social care ends up costing £1.50 in NHS and societal expenses due to increased hospital admissions and lost productivity.

A Call for Integrated Funding and Policy

Experts are calling for an integrated funding model that treats health and social care as two parts of the same system. Without it, they warn, any money poured into the NHS may deliver short-term gains but will fail to create lasting improvement.

Integrated health and social care funding UK: Social care providers want a multi-year funding settlement, workforce investment, and clearer pathways for collaboration with the NHS. These steps, they argue, are essential to building a sustainable care system for an ageing population.

What Happens Next?

With a general election expected in 2025, social care reform is becoming a key issue on the campaign trail. Public sentiment is shifting, and polls show that voters are increasingly concerned about the state of care services—especially as more people experience its challenges firsthand.

For now, the NHS is preparing to receive another financial boost. But without corresponding action on social care, many experts worry the UK is simply shifting problems from one part of the system to another.

“It’s time to stop treating social care like a side issue,” said one charity leader. “If the government truly wants to fix the NHS, it must fund and reform social care too.”