First cross-party talks on social care reform postponed

According to a BBC report, the first round of cross-party talks on social care issues, originally scheduled to take place in England, has been postponed. The meeting was initially planned for Wednesday, but attendees received an email notification on Monday evening stating that the meeting was canceled and would be rescheduled for a later date.

Government sources pointed out the difficulty in arranging a meeting that representatives from five different political parties could all attend simultaneously. Conservative sources, on the other hand, stated that invitees should be notified of meeting dates in advance and provided with a clearer agenda outlining the topics for discussion.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting had previously promised that the talks would begin this month, and all major opposition parties have insisted on participating. The Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, and the Green Party have all been invited by the Department of Health and Social Care to attend discussions later this week, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey. Baroness Casey, who previously led a landmark review of the Metropolitan Police, will serve as chair of the independent commission, which is expected to begin its work in April.

The government stated that the commission will provide "clear recommendations" on how to rebuild the adult social care system, with the aim of gaining cross-party and national support. However, critics have previously stated that the government's timeline lacks sufficient urgency. The commission's work will be divided into two phases, with the first phase expected to report on key issues in the system and some medium-term improvements by mid-2026. However, the second phase report on organizing care services and their long-term funding will not be released until 2028.

Last month, Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the health think tank The King's Fund, said on BBC Radio 4's "Today" program that the timeline "feels too long." She urged the government to consider measures that could be implemented more quickly. Streeting previously stated that the government's goal is to establish a "National Care Service" capable of meeting the needs of an aging population for decades to come. He said the government would "finally seize the opportunity for social care reform," but that developing a model fit for the future "takes time." Social care encompasses a wide range of services provided to elderly people or those with physical or mental illnesses. The King's Fund estimates that local authorities in England spent £28.4 billion on social care in 2022/23. It also reported that 818,000 people received publicly funded long-term social care in 2021/22, with an additional 224,000 receiving short-term care.