Ministers are to launch a historic independent commission to reform adult social care, as they warned older people could be left without vital help and the NHS overwhelmed unless a “national consensus” was reached on fixing a “failing” system.
The taskforce, to be led by the cross-bench peer Louise Casey, will be charged with developing plans for a new national care service, a Labour election manifesto pledge, in the biggest shake-up to social care in England in decades.
Millions of pounds in funding for elderly and disabled people to make home improvements and stay out of hospital were also announced on Friday as part of a wider package of support for the sector.
But the proposed timeline for completion of the commission’s work was criticised by health and care leaders, who accused ministers of kicking the adult social care crisis “into the long grass”. An interim report will be delivered in 2026. The final report is not expected until 2028.
Writing in the Guardian, Wes Streeting said: “It will take time, but Casey’s work will finally grasp this nettle and set our country on the path to building a national care service that meets the urgent need of our generation, guarantees quality care to all who need it, and lasts long into the future, no matter which government is in power.”
The health secretary added: “By 2050, there will be four million more people over the age of 65 in England than there are now. If we do nothing, real social care costs are expected to nearly double by 2038 compared to 2018 numbers.
“Many more people will be left without the care they need, the burdens will fall on the health service, and our NHS will be overwhelmed.”
Casey, a former civil servant and go-to troubleshooter for governments of all stripes and for four former prime ministers, “will involve all political parties and the public” to build a “national consensus” around what the country wants from social care, Streeting added.
The health secretary said Labour “took a lot of flak” during last year’s general election campaign “for not spelling out in more detail” its plans for a national care service.
“I was honest about the reason why – general election campaigns are where plans for social care go to die,” he wrote. “In 2009, when Andy Burnham established cross-party talks on social care, David Cameron pulled out and leaked details of the talks to attack Labour in the election campaign.
“In 2017, it was Labour who torpedoed Theresa May’s proposals. Then Rishi Sunak defunded Boris Johnson’s cap on care costs.”
Streeting said there had been “plenty of good ideas” for how to address the crisis in the last 15 years “but a lack of good politics”. The Labour government was “committed to doing politics differently”, he said.
However, the health secretary immediately came under fire from some health and care leaders over the proposed timeline for the taskforce.
The commission will be split over two phases. The first-phase report to the government is expected in the middle of 2026, examining issues facing social care and recommending medium-term reforms. The second phase report, not expected until 2028, will make recommendations for the longer term.
Nadra Ahmed, executive co-chair of the National Care Association, told the Guardian that she welcomed the launch of the commission, but she had “serious concerns” about the final report not being delivered for at least three years.
Calling for the interim and final report deadlines to be brought forward, she added: “We’ve got a sector that can’t wait that long. There is a concern that waiting that long for the commission to report back is kicking the social care crisis into the long grass.”
Prof Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England, said: “This announcement acknowledges the decade-long crisis in social care, but it risks becoming yet another report that gathers dust while the sector crumbles.
“This commission will simply confirm what we already know – how many more reports must we endure before action is taken?”
Hugh Alderwick, director of policy at the Health Foundation, also warned the commission “must move quickly” or run the risk of “history repeating itself”.
“The adult social care system in England desperately needs reform after decades of political neglect and underfunding,” he said. “So the government’s promise of a plan for social care is welcome.
“But we have been here before. The past three decades have seen a long line of reports and reviews making recommendations for social care reform, including from government commissions like the one announced today. The result has been delays and broken promises.
“This new commission must move quickly and build on previous policy proposals.
“Today’s announcement suggests it may be three years before we see recommendations for longer term reform, including to the broken funding system for social care. This risks history repeating itself, with reforms not being implemented and people continuing to suffer.”
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive at the King’s Fund, welcomed the launch of the commission but urged the government to “accelerate the timing”.
“The current timetable to report by 2028 is far too long to wait for people who need social care, and their families,” she said.
Alongside the launch of the commission, ministers announced on Friday more investment had been committed to the Disabled Facilities Grant, allowing people to apply for funding to carry out work such as widening doors, improving access, installing ramps or stairlifts, or building an extension.
The £86m boost for 2024/25 on top of the £86m announced at the budget for 2025/26 brings the annual total to £711m. About 7,800 more elderly and disabled people could benefit, ministers said.
Care workers will be trained to perform further duties such as blood pressure checks, reducing the need for patients to travel to their doctor or clinics. A digital platform for medical information to be shared between the NHS and care staff will also be created.
Source: theguardian.com
