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The UK government has rejected criticism that it is delaying tackling the social care crisis after saying a review of one of the country's most complex political problems will not be completed until 2028.
The report of the first phase of the review, which will be led by Baroness Louise Casey, a Whitehall problem solver, is due to be presented in mid-2026. It will identify critical issues facing adult social care and make recommendations for medium-term reforms.
But the second phase, which will produce longer-term recommendations to tackle Britain's aging population, will not report until 2028 – the year before the expected next general election.
When asked on Friday if he was causing trouble in tall grass, he replied: Wes StreetingThe Health Secretary told the BBC: “I think that would be a fair criticism if we weren't already moving on social care, if we hadn't already done a lot in the first six months.”
“The first part of the Casey Commission does not report in 2028 – it will report next year,” he added.
But Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King's Fund, a health and social care think-tank, urged ministers to speed up the committee's timing, saying the wait was “too long” for people needing care and their families.
Natasha Carey, deputy policy director at the Nuffield Trust research group, said there needed to be greater urgency from ministers given the “high costs” faced by the care sector – including rising National Insurance payments.
She added: “The ambition to implement comprehensive reform in the medium and long term, as part of a phased plan, is understandable, but more urgent support to social care must also be provided.”
Baroness Casey's appointment is an attempt to break a political deadlock after decades of debate over social care, which has taken a toll on the overburdened NHS.
Although millions of people were affected, the issue was rarely mentioned in last year's general elections.
A government-commissioned study published by Lord Ara Darzi described it last year The crisis facing social care provision was described as “severe”.Al-Nazir said the lack of funding had a “profound human cost and economic consequences” for older people and their families.
Sir Tony Blair set up a royal commission into aged care at the start of the last Labor government in 1997, but ended up rejecting its recommendations on free personal care on the basis of cost.
Since then, various government initiatives to fund the welfare system have been proposed, but have faced public backlash.
Successive governments have delayed imposing a cap on the living costs that any individual must contribute to their personal care in England.
The cap – set by the last Conservative government at £86,000 – was due to come into effect next October, but after Chancellor Rachel Reeves discovered what ministers described as a “black hole” in the public finances worth £22 billion, Plans were again postponed indefinitely. .
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the Casey review could finally break the “impasse” over social care funding.
She added: “We say ‘likely’ because although we have no doubt that Baroness Casey will do an excellent job, the real question is whether the government will act decisively on her conclusions.”
The King's Fund's Woolnough said the first stage of the Casey review should look at increasing the use of data and technology in the sector, and improving integration with the sector. NHS And make adult social care a more attractive profession.
Streeting also announced an increase of £86 million to the Disability Facilities Grant this financial year, taking the annual total to £711 million, to allow more disabled and older people to make improvements to their homes.
