Adult social care in this country is in desperate need of reform.
Families are paying an average of £80,000 towards care costs, local authorities are spending £35 billion a year, and around two million older people have unmet care needs.
As a GP, I’ve seen first-hand how difficult it can be to secure the right social care support for patients. As a son helping to care for my own parents, I also understand the financial burden many families face.
Successive governments have kicked the can down the road. The Casey Commission is now the 23rd review of adult social care since 1997.
I’m pleased the Prime Minister recognises the urgency of the challenge and is reaching out across the political spectrum to build a lasting consensus.
Personally, I support the creation of a National Care Service, modelled on the NHS. It has never made sense to me that someone diagnosed with cancer receives treatment free at the point of use, while a person living with dementia can face crippling care bills.
But reform isn’t only about funding.
Too many large private providers have extracted millions of pounds from the care system. Adult social care should be community-led and delivered in the interests of people, not profit.
The current agency model is often inefficient. Carers can spend hours travelling between appointments, while two neighbours receive visits from entirely different providers. That simply doesn’t make sense.
Closer to home, I know many residents have raised concerns about the outsourcing of reablement services to the private sector. My team is looking into these issues with Gloucestershire County Council.
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get this right. Many of you will have your own experiences and views on adult social care, and they deserve to be heard.
The Government is inviting people to contribute to the Casey Commission’s national conversation. You can share your views at https://caseycommission.co.uk/bigconversation/.
