Labour’s first six months in office left much to be desired in addressing social care reform in England, a point of contention for many. However, the government seems to be taking a firmer stance now by bringing Dame Louise Casey on board to steer a comprehensive review of this thorny policy issue. Despite this progress, the timeline they’ve proposed drags on unnecessarily long. Instead of diving right into viable reforms, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and his team have opted for more investigations, prolonging the current state of dysfunction.
The consequences of this inaction are piling up, affecting both those who urgently need costly care and the already strained health service. Mr. Streeting reassures us that changes will begin next year with Dame Louise’s initial findings, but dropping the ball on this would be an outrageous neglect of duty. Remember, this government was elected on promises to revitalize public services, an imperative given the strain social care shortages impose on hospitals.
Mr. Streeting is no stranger to the pitfalls of past reform attempts. Recently, his colleague Rachel Reeves scrapped a proposed £86,000 cap on individual social care costs to save funds. Efforts to design a fair, sustainable service model that garners public backing predate these decisions, going back even to the Tory era. Tony Blair’s government, nearly 25 years ago, set the precedent by dismissing most suggestions from a royal commission on social care they had established. Likely mindful of this history, Mr. Streeting bypassed another commission, opting to engage Dame Louise instead.
Dame Louise is renowned for tackling complex issues with a mix of creativity and grit. Known for her work as a crossbench peer and for advising Conservative prime ministers, she’s seen as a capable figure who could facilitate cross-party agreement. In the past, she’s confronted tough subjects head-on, like the racial and gender biases within the Metropolitan police culture.
Mr. Streeting’s vision includes expanding social care entitlements to be viewed as we do healthcare today. It’s often argued that there’s no moral basis for cancer treatment to be free, yet dementia care is means-tested. This disparity stems from the varying needs these conditions engender.
Critical questions include whether and how social care risks are pooled similarly to health risks post-1940s, the funding of non-public care, and how entitlement levels are set. Consensus is crucial on these fronts. Implementing a new system will be tough if it’s constantly under the threat of being overturned. Mr. Streeting acknowledges these inherently political issues, where left and right won’t always see eye to eye. It would be naive to claim otherwise.
Lord Darzi managed to review the NHS within mere months. Hopefully, Dame Louise will prioritize urgency in her work, perhaps even expediting her timelines to hasten meaningful action.
