Social care commission must be the turning point for a sector that is in crisis - The Yorkshire Post says

The Government announced in January that Baroness Louise Casey would chair an independent commission into adult social care, to begin in April.

Carers and campaigners felt it was a case of groundhog day with previous reviews and recommendations not acted upon.

All the while the crisis in social care continues to spread. The simple truth is that unless social care is fixed, then it will engulf the NHS.

The warning signs are already with hospitals suffering from bed blocking as a result of a lack of care in the community provisions. But Baroness Casey’s meeting with campaigners is to be welcomed as is her vow to ensure their voices shape the system.

This newspaper has been campaigning over a decade for reform and it remains hopeful that this commission will mark a turning point in the way social care works in this country.

Baroness Casey’s credentials are impressive and the division of the commission into phases signals that the Government does intend to confront the crisis in social care.

The first phase identifying what the Government called the “critical issues” facing the sector and setting out recommendations for reform and improvement “in the medium term” is due to report in mid-2026. However, the second phase, making long-term recommendations, might not report until 2028. The Government should ensure that this commission does mark the end of the crisis in care.