A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) minister has acknowledged it has fallen behind its original target on the roll out of digital social care records (DSCRs) in England.
Helen Whateley said that in February of this year, only 63% of social care providers registered with the Care Quality Commission had the records in place - indicating a shortfall against a target, set in 2021, to reach 80% by March 2024.
She was responding to a parliamentary question from Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who pointed out that the target was an element of the Government’s adult social care reform white paper.
Whateley said that a new deadline date of March 2025 has been set for the 80% target, and that a further £25 million has been allocated for this financial year to support the implementation of DSCRs.
Time and support
“By extending timeframes, we can ensure that care providers who are yet to digitise have the time and support needed to successfully adopt DSCRs, and to reduce the risk of regional disparities in DSCR uptake,” she said.
The extra money comes on top of a £150 million investment announced at the time the target was set. Sajid Javid, secretary of state for health at the time, described DSCRs as “a basic responsibility” that provide major benefits for social care.
In April of last year Whateley announced the provision of £100 million for a broader digitisation of social care in England, and in November DHSC said it would provide support for larger providers in accessing funding.
