BBC | N Fox
Freeing up hospital beds is a key element in reducing hospital waiting lists, but often a real challenge. Could councils’ efforts to “grow their own” social workers through apprenticeships be the answer? With people living with more complex conditions, the NHS says it is more important than ever to get them out of hospital quickly. Social workers are crucial to achieving this, but filling these roles as demand rises is a growing challenge. Across England, there were 1,650 vacancies for social workers in adult care in 2024-5, 8.8% of the total positions.