Despite years of promises, the Department of Health and Social Care still doesn’t have a plan in place to reform the adult social care sector.
The NHS turns 73 in a fortnight and it seems that, as a nation, we still can’t look after the old and infirmed. Nye Bevan would be furious that it has come to this.
Today a “do or die” meeting on social care involving Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock has been postponed, it is understood, as the government came under renewed pressure over delays in setting out a policy for the sector. It is not known why it was postponed, or when the meeting will take place.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, said he was unaware of the initial meeting. “I didn’t know that it was happening, and I didn’t know that it had been called off,” he said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Betrayal
It comes as The Public Account Committee (PAC) released a report examining the state of the adult social care system in the UK, and the impact the pandemic has had on the sector.
It discovered that despite years of promises, the Department of Health and Social Care still doesn’t have a plan in place to reform the adult social care sector, nor does it have a plan to align workforces between the care sector and the NHS.
Independent Care Group (ICG) Chair Mike Padgham, in Care Home Professional, said : “We shouldn’t be surprised, the government is guilty of betrayal after betrayal of social care reform.
“What is the problem this time? Do they need some help? If so, there are plenty of us who are more than happy to step in!
“The Prime Minister has promised to get social care done and the country is tired of waiting for him to deliver on that promise. Time and time again we have been promised a Green Paper on reform, only for it to be delayed again and again.”
Reactions
As ever social media has had its say over ANOTHER delay in sorting out the social care sector, and firmly kicking the can down the road.
1.
Good to hear Downing Street saying they’re “finalising” a plan for fixing social care.
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) June 21, 2021
In unrelated news, here’s Boris Johnson 698 days ago saying they had already prepared a clear plan for fixing social care. pic.twitter.com/KFSnvokBNX
2.
2019: “We will fix the social crisis in care… with a clear plan that we have prepared”
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) June 21, 2021
2021: “Yeah, I was just lying again. Still, look at my untidy hair – hilarious right?” pic.twitter.com/qI6UaN2Zyc
3.
2019: “We will fix the social crisis in care… with a clear plan that we have prepared”
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) June 21, 2021
2021: “Yeah, I was just lying again. Still, look at my untidy hair – hilarious right?” pic.twitter.com/qI6UaN2Zyc
4.
He must have lost his “clear plan” to fix the crisis in social care “once and for all” which “we have prepared” that @BorisJohnson announced on the steps of Downing Street on his first day in office as Prime Minister 2 years ago.
— Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) June 21, 2021
Must have lost it down the back of his new sofa https://t.co/NDQTOb1xAP
5.
So they’re finishing their plan to make a plan to make a plan?
— Ada Palmer 💉🎉 (@Ada_Palmer) June 21, 2021
6.
If one were to take this literally, the announcement coming by the end of the year might just be setting out proposals for how to come up with a plan.
— Mikey Smith (@mikeysmith) June 21, 2021
Were I a betting man, I might flutter on Hancock announcing a cross-party commission on social care sometime around November.
7.
The can has been kicked down the road for so long it’s almost disappeared.https://t.co/UeqRWs8Y7b
— Joe Vitagliano (@DrJoeV) June 21, 2021
8.
We’re working on the formula for announcing a date by which we’ll be able to calculate how long it will take to not be able to work out an answer yet https://t.co/VbWvq7DPfU
— Kathy Evans (@Kathy_CEO_CE) June 21, 2021
9.
Meanwhile, Johnson has been quite busy finalising his dream of a national trade flagship, HMS Truss (?), to be funded entirely by British taxpayers, via the MOD. Will GBNews be piped directly onto the poop deck?
— Tetburyboy (@Tetburyboy) June 21, 2021
10.
all a bit ‘we’re preparing to prepare some preparatory ideas for doing this in future’ https://t.co/tDIUFHKlNP
— gabyhinsliff (@gabyhinsliff) June 21, 2021
11.
So just another barefaced liehttps://t.co/43ZcaOU3BZ
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) June 21, 2021
12.
UPDATE
— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaNigrelli) June 21, 2021
You remember that social care plan that was “clear” and “prepared” back in Aug 2019
Well today Johnson gave a status update on that:
“We’re finalising the work on bringing forward our proposals”
WTF does that even mean?
13.
UPDATE
— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaNigrelli) June 21, 2021
You remember that social care plan that was “clear” and “prepared” back in Aug 2019
Well today Johnson gave a status update on that:
“We’re finalising the work on bringing forward our proposals”
WTF does that even mean?
14.
Oh, how exciting. Is that similar to coming up with the proposals for a #Brexit plan? pic.twitter.com/K4oQxGF3gj
— Simplicius 😷 (@Simplex2014) June 21, 2021
15.
Johnson said he had a social care plan on day one.
— Dr Eric Farmer (@Himself132) June 21, 2021
But, a long time later:
They haven’t got a plan.
They haven’t got proposals for producing a plan yet.
They haven’t even worked out how to ‘bring forward’ any solutions that they might come up with.
It’s still day one.
16.
Funny that, the plans for a new Royal Yacht traversed the system far, far faster than the plans to overhaul social care…
— LadyBlues #Black Lives Matter #NHSPay15💙BDS (@Ladyblues666) June 21, 2021
Related: NHS and social care burnout reaching ’emergency level’, MPs warn
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