Our social care needs overhaul

The system is not fit for purpose

THE LONG term funding of social care for the elderly is one of the greatest challenges facing Britain today. Yet the stark reality is the care system is struggling to function.

Earlier this year it was likened to a ‘humanitarian crisis’ and now a new poll, carried out by older people’s charity Independent Age, reveals that nine out of 10 MPs do not believe the social care system is fit for purpose.

It is a damning indictment on governments both past and present that have failed to adequately tackle what is fast becoming a ticking time bomb.

Theresa May’s Government has promised a consultation on social care, but for this to bring about fundamental change it must set out a long-term vision that has cross-party support. The Department of Health has provided an additional £2bn that plugs the funding gap in the short-term, but we urgently need a lasting solution that integrates health and social care services and is sustainable for many years to come.

There are no easy answers but for too long political leaders have failed to properly tackle this issue, one that affects every family in the country.

The scale of the challenge should not be underestimated. Britain has an ageing society with more of us living for longer, which means an unprecedented number of older people need support in later life.

The trouble is highquality care is hard to find and costly and it is ordinary families that are holding this creaking system together. Unpaid work by UK carers equates to £132bn a year, a sum which is more than double the estimated cost of HS2.

However, this is an issue that goes beyond just money. This is about the kind of support we want for our loved ones. And if we do not radically overhaul the entire health and care system now we are only creating a far bigger problem further down the road.