Our response to the Spending Review

Jim Kane, Community Integrated Care’s Chief Executive Officer, has responded to the 2025 Spending Review:

“Fixing the NHS means reforming social care – yet today’s Spending Review delivered soundbites without substance.

“While the Chancellor acknowledged the vital relationship between the NHS and social care, she failed to offer meaningful, immediate steps to strengthen that partnership or address the significant challenges facing our sector.

“Support for the Casey Commission and the Fair Pay Agreement is welcome, but in the absence of clear timelines or funding, creates confusion and frustration for a sector that has grown tired of words with no action. This was a missed opportunity to provide the clarity, certainty, and investment that social care urgently needs. Despite a headline announcement of £4 billion in 2028/29, there’s no indication of how this will be used, who it will reach or when. We need that information now.

“Social care has the power to transform lives, strengthen communities, and build the resilience of our NHS. But real reform relies on ring-fenced funding, fair pay for our workforce, and a long-term plan that places social care at the heart of a strong, healthy society.

“It is also essential that this new NHS investment doesn’t just relieve short-term pressures but actively tackles the deep health inequalities experienced by people with care and support needs. They deserve better access, better treatment, and better outcomes – and the funding now exists to make that a reality.

“Without a clear plan, we remain concerned that what looks like progress on the surface, is not being matched by the decisive action required beneath it. We urge the government to move beyond rhetoric and commit to real, lasting investment in our sector.”