MORE FROM THE COMMITTEE *2

Yet more from the Committee.

The NHS and social care are being treated differently.

Last week I laid out some of the findings from the report published in August by the House of Commons’ Committee for Levelling up.

This is about the employer contributions of the Health and Social Care Levy.

The government has introduced higher NI contributions this year for employers and employees. This is reportedly to pay for extra health and social care funding.

The payment of the higher rate of NICs is an additional cost pressure for private providers.

But the Government has stated its intention to compensate public sector employers

for their employer contributions of the Health and Social Care Levy.

As a result, the NHS will not be facing the additional costs of the employer contribution.

Care England estimates the annual cost to the care sector of the Health and Social Care Levy at £600 million. Its Chief Executive, Professor Martin Green OBE, also said: “This is at odds with the NHS where employer contributions are being recompensed by the government; adult social care and the NHS are two sides of the same coin and they need parity”.

This is so unfair. The NHS takes priority every time, and now the country is suffering as a result.