The Government has felayed a planned overhaul of social care until 2028, announcing the creation of an independent commission to address the issue.
With social care in crisis the move had been heavily criticised amid warnings that urgent action is needed now to support people in care.
Hugh Alderwick, director of policy at The Health Foundation, said: “The past three decades have seen a long line of reports and reviews making recommendations for social care reform. The result has been delays and broken promises.”
Speaking on Radio Four’s Today programme, Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of independent health think tank The King’s Fund, urged the government to ‘accelerate the timetable’ for social care reform saying it is about ‘human dignity’.
Baroness Casey of Blackstock will lead the review, which will focus on medium-term and long-term problems.
The first phase, addressing more immediate issues, will conclude by mid-2025, while the second phase, confronting longer-term concerns such as the ageing population, will report by 2028.
Meanwhile there are immediate government plans to get care workers to do more health checks, and a funding boost for services to help elderly and disabled people remain in their homes.
