Our Scans · (ZY.4.25) Social Work · Weekly Summary

• [New] Training needs could further be supplemented by establishing a social care career pathway, which currently is missing in the UK. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] An ageing population will sharply increase demand for health and social care, with the social-care sector alone likely to require close to half a million additional workers over the next decade. Tony Blair Institute
• [New] The adult social care system is likely to need almost 440,000 more care workers by 2035. BBC News
• Trump's threats of war, from Venezuela to Iran and even Greenland, expose the priorities of the ruling class: limitless resources for militarism and repression, austerity for health care and all social needs. World Socialist Web Site
• Digitising NHS and adult social care services across the UK will require an estimated £21bn over the next five years. Digital Health
• By 2040, the journey of contactless medical radar from a niche medical technology to a globally integrated social artifact is not just a story of engineering it is a story of human reconciliation with invisible care. Health Wellness Revolution
• Programs like the University of Southern California's $115,000 online Master of Social Work will likely need to lower their costs or close altogether. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• A sinister government analysis of the impact of a bill to legalise assisted suicide suggests it could eventually save public bodies more than £100 million a year in health and social care costs, benefits and pensions. DPAC
• Over the coming decade, the vast majority of growth in federal government spending will come from just four parts of the federal budget: Social Security, health care, mandatory veterans' programs, and interest on the national debt. Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
• Spending on Social Security and health care will grow from a combined 11.2% of GDP ($3.4 trillion) in 2025 to 12.5% of GDP ($5.9 trillion) by 2036. Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
• India has been elected to the UN Economic and Social Council for 2026-2028, showing the world's trust in India's work on global development. Exam Charcha
• To unlock the full potential of gig work, India must implement comprehensive measures like robust legal frameworks, portable social security, and enhanced grievance redressal systems. Drishti IAS
• Unless governments, employers, and workers act together to harness technology responsibly and expand quality job opportunities for women and youth - through coherent and coordinated institutional responses - decent work deficits will persist and social cohesion will be at risk. UN News
• In 2026, continued escalation of visible social crises, exacerbated by cycles of trauma, will make it feel increasingly inevitable that psychedelics will have a place in the broader continuum of mental health care. Lucid News
• The financial burden is expected to rise by over 114% in 2040 (Wittenberg et al., 2019), driven by escalating needs on hospital, primary care, social services, and unpaid carers. / UK Frontiers
• Cuts to social programs like Medicare are expected to further place strain on both child care workers and providers. EdSurge

Last updated: 19 March 2026