Social care providers face renewed cost pressure on staffing
Local authority fee uplifts are lagging behind wage costs, and providers are handing back contracts.
Care providers in several English regions have handed back local authority contracts, citing fee levels that no longer cover staffing costs.
The effect lands on the NHS through delayed discharge, particularly for patients needing complex home care packages.
Directors of adult social services acknowledge the pressure but say their own settlements leave little room.
Published 29 August 2026
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