Social Care Reform

Question

The shadow questioned the government's commitment to social care reform following the Prime Minister’s pledge. She highlighted the challenges faced by residents, families, staff during the pandemic, and the need for a clear plan with specifics like a cost cap and workforce plans.

Question

The MP asked how the NHS could address its backlog if social care continues to export vulnerable patients, undermining the principle of equal access to care. He raised concerns about dementia care for wealthy versus less fortunate individuals.

Question

This MP highlighted that while Scotland is making strides in social care reform, including investment increases and tax exemptions for staff payments, the UK Government has yet to act. He asked about lessons learned from this example and called for urgent discussions on post-Brexit residence status for EU nationals.

Question

My interests are in the register. I was delighted to hear the Minister confirm that the reform announcements will come later this year, and obviously a centrepiece of that will be the key question of how we get significantly more money into the social care system. But can she guarantee that the proposals will cover issues such as workforce planning, the need for changes in the housing stock to enable people to live in their own homes for much longer than they can at the moment, and the use of technology to ease their daily burden, all of which are essential for a sustainable and civilised social care system?

Question

New analysis for the Care and Support Alliance found that since the Prime Minister stood on the steps of Downing Street some two years ago and promised to 'fix...social care once and for all', 2 million requests for formal care and support from adults over 18 have been turned down by their local council; that is the equivalent of 3,000 requests being turned down every day, putting immense pressure on unpaid carers as well as the NHS. This shows the human cost of dither and delay, so will Ministers stop their internal spats and off-the-record briefings and commence cross-party talks immediately with the sector so that we can fix this issue?

Question

Over the past couple of years I have spoken to many families across the Bolsover constituency who are affected by social care and all the challenges that we know the sector and those who work in it face. Does my hon. Friend agree that this should not be a matter of party political point scoring and that what we need is a sustainable solution? Will she commit to delivering that solution this year so that we can have a social care sector that is fit for purpose for many years to come?

Question

I thank the Minister for her statement today on social care reform. An issue close to my heart is support for carers in the form of respite; in particular we have generations of young carers who need a break after the isolation of the pandemic. Will the Minister commit to making funding available specifically to provide respite overnights for carers who carry out their activities 24/7 and need support more than ever right now?

Question

I appreciate this is very difficult for the Minister, because until we actually know what the Government’s proposals are, she is answering questions based on assumptions and guesswork, but she will know that the main concerns of families are twofold: that they get adequate care; and that they will not have to sell their family home to provide that care. What assurance can she give that the Government will take into account the fact that people want to hold on to their family home? On the assumption that the value of assets will play some part in whatever formula we come up with, what account will be taken of the vast difference in prices of property in London compared with, for example, Cleethorpes?

Question

On Friday I met my constituent Phil, whose mother, given the state of her dementia, has gone to into a care home. The day before I met my constituent Denise, who is trying to keep her mum, who has Alzheimer’s, in her own home. I think they are pretty typical of most of our constituents, because in addition to the cost issue, they are dealing with the complexity of a system they do not have experience of, as well as trying to get the right quality of care. Can my hon. Friend confirm that the issues of cost, complexity and quality of care will all be dealt with in the reform proposals?

Question

The 2018 Equality and Human Rights Commission report, “Housing and disabled people: Britain’s hidden crisis”, found that disabled people in the UK were not getting the support they needed to live independently. Three years on, we still have not seen any sign of the national strategy for disabled people which was promised this spring. Does the Minister agree that that is long overdue, and can she tell the House what her Government are currently doing to support people to go into independent living?

Question

The Fed at Heathlands Village in my constituency is an amazing example of what care can and ultimately should look like, so I want to start by extending an invitation to the Minister to walk around The Fed with me to see what services really should look like. What can we do to ensure that The Fed is not just a torchbearer, but the norm?

Question

It is nearly two years since the Prime Minister promised to fix social care. In the intervening period, we have had the false promise that there was a ring of protection around social care homes. The Government’s treatment of people in care homes, their families and the workers in that field of public service is appalling. This is a highly politically charged issue. We tried to fix it when we were in government and were attacked by the Opposition. The Government have had a similar experience. The only way forward on this is for the Government to have cross-party talks on how we find a solution to this problem. Will she commit to doing that?

Question

Will the Minister ensure that quality of care for the person needing it is central to the review? Can we learn lessons over the safe discharge of people from hospital into care settings? Will the NHS ensure that in future GP and nursing care, where needed, is available to support those patients on discharge?

Question

We all know that commissioning in social care is broken. The price paid for care is too low, the wages paid to carers are too small and there is a lack of training and professional development for carers. Will the social care plans address the issue of home care being commissioned by the minute—it is the only publicly funded service commissioned or measured by time?

Question

Fixing our social care system is the biggest long-term challenge facing the country. However, for all the scale and complexity of the issue, fundamentally it comes down to money. We must find a way to fund our social care system fairly and sustainably. Will the Minister assure the House that she will work on a cross-party basis to bring forward reforms as soon as possible so that we can prevent the appalling situation in which people are forced to sell their home to pay for care?

Question

When I was a care worker, I was lucky enough to work alongside care workers from across the world. We know the sacrifices that all care workers have made during the pandemic and how care home residents were put at risk by the Government’s covid response. There has now been over a decade of empty promises. When will there be a plan for social care that offers more for these heroes than just a badge, some bin bags for PPE and a failure of an NHS boss in waiting who does not value the efforts of overseas healthcare workers?

Question

A world-class healthcare system cannot exist without effective and sustainable social care. The health and care Bill is an important step, but will my hon. Friend ensure that the social care reforms go further in integrating health and social care so that everybody who needs care can get the tailored support that they need?

Question

I am sure the Minister will agree that the two conditions that people most fear getting at some point in their lives are probably cancer and dementia. Yet, if someone gets cancer, the NHS will take care of them and the taxpayer will fund their treatment; if they get dementia, broadly speaking that is not the case. As has been said already, surely the only way through this is a significant injection of money. That means being honest with the British people that, collectively, we will have to pay for it. Does she agree that we would be right to say to the British people that they should pay an extra penny on income tax for social care, so that people do not have to lose their home and their dignity if they lose their health?

Question

People across our country will have breathed a huge sigh of relief when the Prime Minister stood on the steps of Downing Street and exclaimed that he had a “clear” and “prepared” plan to solve the social care crisis, but almost two years have passed and there is still no plan in sight. Indeed, the Minister has said today that the Government are still working on a plan. What is the hold-up? Who is obstructing the Prime Minister—or was he simply misleading the nation as usual?

Question

Despite repeated promises by successive Governments, our social care system has not received the attention it deserves, and my constituents want to see that attention. Will my hon. Friend confirm that the Government will honour the promise that we made to the British people and deliver the long-term solution that the sector needs?

Question

Instead of bringing forward plans to fix the social care crisis as the Prime Minister has promised, the Government intend to put in place a legal framework for a discharge to assess model, whereby NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care assessments can take place after an individual has been discharged from acute care, instead of before. The Government have told me that an independent evaluation of the implementation of the hospital discharge policy is currently under way, and that it is due to report this autumn. Will the Minister tell us why the Government are pressing ahead with this policy, despite not yet fully understanding the impact that it is having on patients and unpaid carers?

Question

I very much welcome the plans for integrating the NHS, local authorities and social care providers. Can the Minister assure us that the plans will not lead to any more centralisation or bureaucracy in the system, and that, on the contrary, we will see more local flexibility, more choice and control for patients and, crucially, more support for the families and community groups that are so important in the delivery of social care?

Question

Today marks 700 days to the day since, on the steps of Downing Street, the Prime Minister told the nation that “we will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with a clear plan we have prepared”. For clarity, this was before the global pandemic hit. I know, and the Minister knows, that the market has failed, and that that failure has been exacerbated by the pandemic, not created by it. Is it not time for the Minister to face the inconvenient truth that the only way to fund social care is through progressive taxation, with a diverse range of in-house services guaranteeing workforce standards and service user choice, under the umbrella of local government?

Question

The report of the joint Health and Social Care and Housing, Communities and Local Government Committees left open the possibility of insurance-type solutions for adult care funding. Can the Minister confirm that both insurance-based solutions and an enhanced role for local government remain options for her and other key decision makers when determining the way forward for adult care?

Question

The pandemic has highlighted the unequal footing of social care alongside the NHS. The Prime Minister’s announcement that he had a social care plan ready to go in 2019 is shown to be untrue, and 1.5 million older people are going without necessary care. What is the Minister doing to ensure cross-party consensus on this issue?

Question

Many people in Sedgefield are concerned about the cost of social care. Can the Minister ensure that they do not have to sell their house to fund such care?

Question

42,000 care home residents have died of coronavirus during the pandemic. The Prime Minister promised to fix the social care crisis 700 days ago. Social care staff cannot do this on their own; those who need the crisis fixed need certainty, not ambiguity of 'later this year'. When will the Government publish their plan and fix the social care crisis?

Question

Residents in Blackpool spend a higher percentage of their income on council tax than those anywhere else. While reforming social care is clear, does the Minister agree they need a national funding model to meet costs and avoid disproportionate burdens on deprived areas?

Question

Does the Minister believe that £67 a week carer’s allowance is fair for round-the-clock care, and will this amount be raised under the Prime Minister's plan?

Question

Does my hon. Friend agree that a German-style social care premium would be fair, rewarding those who save and using small amounts from everyone to cover catastrophic costs? Will she include this in proposals for debate?

Question

From providers to staff, the sector feels abandoned. Two years ago, the Prime Minister promised an oven-ready plan which never materialized. Why cannot we resolve social care issues like other less prosperous nations? When will plans be published?

Question

May I reiterate the point made by the hon. Member for Wirral West about hospital discharge and assessment while someone remains in hospital? Does my hon. Friend agree that now is the time to act on adult social care reform, being bold and courageous, putting an end to second-class service?

Question

If we are truly to see full integration of health and social care, that will require full integration of funding. Will the Minister ensure this is an option when bringing forward proposals ahead of debating the Health and Care Bill?

Question

Can the Minister reassure the House that the focus will remain steadfast on patient outcomes and happiness as part of the health and care Bill?

Question

Will the Minister apologise to those who lost loved ones due to her reported interference in Public Health England's proposed advice to care homes during the pandemic?

Question

Does the Minister agree that boosting staffing levels is a vital first step towards building a world-class care system?

Question

Does the Minister recognise that a cap on care costs alone is insufficient and will further measures be included to support working-age adults with disabilities, older people with unmet needs, and improve pay and conditions for care staff?

Question

Does the Minister support initiatives such as Warrington's social care academy, which addresses skills gaps in the care workforce?