Delaying social care reform again is inexcusable - Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Roger Backhouse, Upper Poppleton, York.

The NHS was left in a very bad state by the Conservative Governments and the difficulties have been highlighted well by Ismail Mulla (page 13, The YP, January 3) and Grace Hammond (page 2). Ismail Mulla's family experiences could be matched by many others.

While the present Government has made welcome moves to start fixing the problems it has made a major error in delaying action on social care.

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As Ismail Mulla points out problems with social care impact badly on the NHS leading to shortage of beds for new admissions. Though Labour have made some minor but welcome moves to improve social care they fall well short of what's required.

General view of staff on a NHS hospital ward. PIC: Jeff Moore/PA WireGeneral view of staff on a NHS hospital ward. PIC: Jeff Moore/PA Wire
General view of staff on a NHS hospital ward. PIC: Jeff Moore/PA Wire

Even with the redoubtable Dame Louise Casey in charge of the supposedly independent commission looking into social care it won't report until 2028.

Even if plans are agreed, putting them into operation will take another five years.

Seeking an all party consensus is a lovely idea but don't rule out one or more political parties criticising everything but having no ideas of their own. That's the nature of populist policies. One party should lead, as Labour did in forming the NHS.

The fundamental problem remains money.

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We all know that Britain has an ageing population with growing care needs. Care will cost more - but so far no party has admitted that it will need more from taxation or major savings elsewhere like defence.

Adding airy talk about no-one having to sell their house to pay for care is just that - talk. I am reaching an age where I may require care and common sense and realism says I need to pay more in tax to that end. I am not alone in that assessment.

The problems are known and so are most of the solutions. Procrastination with yet another look at social care is all too typical of past Government approaches.

Surely something has been learned from past investigations and experience? It is an inexcusable delay when action is needed.

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I wish the inquiry success but it is a classic case of the wrong approach coming too late, a great disappointment to those of us who hoped that a new Government might actually have the ideas and the determination to make things better.

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