Streeting defends proposed timeline for commission into adult social care reform
Health secretary Wes Streeting has defended the government’s proposed timeline for reforming social care.
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme he stressed there would be action taken in this parliament. He said “successive governments led by Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and the SNP have all failed on social care.”
He continued:
If anyone is going to help us to break the cycle of bad politics, knock heads together, and forge the national consensus I think we need on social care, it is Louise Casey.
And that work will begin in April. It will report initially next year. And within three years I hope we will have built the consensus we need to build a national care service fit to meet the challenges for older and disabled people in the 21st century.
Streeting continued by saying the government was clear “part one of the Casey commission isn’t reporting in 2028. It is reporting next year.”
He claimed “it will outline what we need to do during this parliament to lay the foundations for a national care service. So there’s going to be plenty going on in this parliament.”
He also defended the government’s record on social care so far, citing investments in adapting people’s homes to give people with disabilities greater independence, and an expansion of carers’ allowance.
Key events
Some economic news which probably won’t cheer up chancellor Rachel Reeves and her hopes to see growth in the economy.
New data from the Bank of England has shown there has been a slowdown in mortgage lending. British lenders approved 65,720 mortgages in November. That is less than the 68,500 expected by economists polled by Reuters.
It has also been a “drab December” for the high street, with attendance at UK shopping centres, retail parks and high streets was down 2.2% in December compared with the same period in 2023.
You can follow the latest business news with my colleague Kalyeena Makortoff today on our business live blog.
Health secretary Wes Streeting has backed the roll-out of “Martha’s rule” to “every health and care setting across the country” during his interview this morning on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
He was asked by presenter Nick Robinson “the NHS in England is beginning to roll out Martha’s rule, but there are those who want it to go faster and it to be available nationally. Is that something is health secretary you now want to see?”
Streeting said:
Yes, and when I was in opposition, I supported Martha’s rule, and I gave credit to our Conservative predecessors when they took up the campaign and started the process of rolling it out.
I think the signs are hugely encouraging the impact it’s having. I want to see this in place in every health and care setting across the country. So we’re going to be supporting that roll out.
Martha’s mother, Merope, a senior editor at the Guardian, appeared on the Today programme last month, with data showing that patients have been moved to intensive care or received potentially life-saving treatment such as oxygen as a direct result of hospitals adopting the rule.
The rule gives patients and their families in England the legal right to a second opinion from senior medics in the same hospital if they are deteriorating rapidly and feel their concerns are being dismissed.
Streeting also suggested cross-party support on this issue was a good example of the approach the government was trying to take with adult social care. He said:
I thought Merope’s interview, by the way, before Christmas, was was extraordinarily powerful, as was Jeremy Hunt’s interview as well.
So this is a good example, leaning back into our social care conversation a bit, that sometimes, even in our slightly fraught politics that we’ve had, certainly in the near decade, that I’ve been in Parliament, that actually we can work together in the national interest.
That we can find common ground, and we can make life-changing and life-saving differences.
We’re doing that on Martha’s rule. I hope we can do that on the issue of social care too.
Scotland’s NHS is still facing “significant” winter pressures, health minister Neil Gray has said.
PA Media reports statistics released last week showed levels of flu in Scotland were at an “extraordinary” level, impacting 50.1 people per 100,000 of the population. Gray, who was appointed to the role of cabinet secretary for health and social care in May 2024, said:
The NHS continues to face significant winter pressures, including cases of Influenza A, which remain very high.
I am enormously grateful to all those working in health and social care settings for their extraordinary efforts over the busy festive period. I was encouraged to hear about the collaborative working right across the system, with strong leadership and staff supporting each other.
I want to thank the public, too, for taking heed of messages about accessing the right care in the right place, and taking steps to help slow the spread of infection.
The health secretary added that all those eligible for vaccinations should take up the offer. There is more information on Scotland’s flu vaccine programme here.
NHS England has also issued new flu data this morning, showing the average number of flu patients in hospital in England each day last week is up sharply on the equivalent week last winter.
PA Media quotes Prof Julian Redhead, NHS England national clinical director for urgent and emergency care saying:
These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the new year. On top of flu there is also continual pressure from Covid, while RSV and norovirus hospital cases are also higher than last year.
With what looks like an extreme cold snap expected right across England ahead of the weekend, we know the low temperatures can be dangerous for those who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions so if you are at risk, do try and keep warm and make sure you are stocked up on any regular medication.
Streeting: despite personal misgivings on assisted dying ‘I’m focused on making this bill workable’
As well as being asked about plans for adult social care and a new national care service, Wes Streeting was questioned this morning on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme about progress on assisted dying legislation in England and Wales.
As health secretary, Streeting intervened before November’s vote, suggesting that legalising assisted dying in the two countries would have resource implications for the NHS, and might lead to healthcare cuts.
Having been asked “do you still worry about the cost burden on the health service of assisted dying?”, this morning Streeting told listeners:
The bill committee will work through those policy issues before the bill comes back to the Commons as a whole for further amendment, and then a final vote on a third reading before it goes to the Lords.
So whatever my misgivings, I’ve said all the way through this that I’ve respected parliament, that this isn’t the government’s responsibility, the government is neutral. That is for the Commons and the Lords to decide.
So I’m focused on making this bill workable, and doing everything I can to make sure that parliamentarians can have a really good debate about these issues as the bill proceeds.
And my department will help with any of the technical processes however we can, as will the Ministry of Justice as it goes through.
Streeting also took time to note that the composition of the committee examining the bill featured those who supported it and opposed it, which, he said “shouldn’t be surprise to anyone who has followed how Kim Leadbeater has been leading this process” which he described as “a really commendable way.”
Health minister Stephen Kinnock and justice minister Sarah Sackman will be on the bill committee for its next stage in parliament, as part of a committee that will have nine MPs who were opponents of the bill and 11 MPs in favour of it.
My colleague Emily Dugan has an article write-up here of the key points from Wes Streeting’s media appearances this morning talking about Labour’s intention for an independent commission looking at the future of adult social care and the setting up of a national care service.
The government’s announcement of an independent commission into adult social care has been criticised as effectively stalling any reform in the short-term. Appearing on the Today programme this morning Wes Streeting was pressed on whether there would actually be any money to implement plans, and also on why they had cancelled plans that had been in progress.
Nick Robinson introduced the segment by saying “Since Tony Blair moved into No 10 in 1997 there have been no fewer than three government commissions, three independent commissions, five white papers and 14 parliamentary committee inquiries into social care.”
Streeting was at pains to stress that he saw cross-party consensus as important to secure, but gave little away as to the nature of future plans. He said:
I would certainly like to see people protected from the catastrophic costs of upfront care that sees people forced to sell their homes and move out.
He blamed the previous government for the new Labour administration not immediately implementing the cap on social care costs proposed in the Andrew Dilnot report more than a decade ago. Streeting said:
It’s a really good example of how we need to break out of the failure of the cycle of short-termist politics.
Because what actually happened was that we came into government perfectly prepared to go ahead with the previous government’s plan, on the basis it was funded and it was due to come in October 2025 and we didn’t want to undo it.
We found the money wasn’t there.
And even if the money had been there, councils hadn’t been prepared to implement from October 2025.
Streeting said that regardless of the outcome of a spending review, there was £880m ring-fenced “as a minimum” for social care.
Health minister: Elon Musk should ‘focus on issues on the other side of the Atlantic’
Health minister Andrew Gwynne has told LBC that Elon Musk should “perhaps ought to focus on issues on the other side of the Atlantic” after the tech billionaire attempted to stage another intervention into British politics.
After Musk overnight reposted on social media calls for parliament to be dissolved and a general election to be called, as well as reposting several comments about grooming gangs in the UK, Gwynne told listeners:
Elon Musk is an American citizen and perhaps ought to focus on issues on the other side of the Atlantic.
But look, the grooming issue is a very serious issue. We’ve already had inquiries into Telford, into Rotherham, we’ve had a local inquiry commissioned by Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, into the situation here in Greater Manchester which includes Oldham.
We’ve had the national child sexual exploitation inquiry in 2022 which the government is seriously considering, there is a long list of recommendations that was made.
There comes a point where we don’t need more inquiries, and had Elon Musk really paid attention to what’s been going on in this country, he might have recognised that there have already been inquiries.
What we need is justice for the victims, and we need to make sure that the criminal justice system follows up and make sure that these atrocious things are never able to happen again.
Davey: Lib Dems ‘ready and eager’ to bring ideas to adult care commission
In response to the announcement of an independent commission into plans for adult social care, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has signalled his party’s willingness to cooperate on a cross-party basis, though cast some doubt on the extent to which he believes the government is truly ready to listen.
In a statement Davey said:
This announcement is long overdue. 2025 must be the year our politics finally rises to the challenge of fixing care – reforming social care and supporting family carers properly too.
This social care review must be cross-party if it is to credibly stand the test of time and help save our NHS, so it’s disappointing that the government has failed even to consult on its remit. The measures to fix the immediate social care crisis left by the Conservatives lack the ambition needed to tackle the chronic shortage of trained care workers.
As a carer for most of my life, I know how crucial it is to see the links between family care, social care and our NHS.
Liberal Democrats have long been campaigning for a cross-party commission on care, so we of course stand ready and eager to bring our ideas to this commission, and to make sure the voices of family carers are heard throughout the process. The government must now convince people they are genuinely ready to listen.
Earlier health secretary Wes Streeting said there would be cross-party talks about the commission next month.
Overnight our health editor Andrew Gregory set out his analysis of the Labour announcement on adult social care, describing it as the “biggest challenge yet for Louise Casey”. He writes:
The sector has been in crisis for decades. While the NHS, which has a host of serious problems of its own, typically grabs the headlines and taxpayers’ cash, adult social care is always the neglected relative.
A devastating analysis sent to ministers by leading voices in the sector last year warned that high employment costs, low fee rates and councils struggling to balance their books were all threatening its overall sustainability.
Collapses in social care provision would leave those in need without care, add to the responsibility on family carers and pile pressure on the NHS, said Care England and the Homecare Association.
Politics and politicians are to blame for the crisis being left unresolved. While most voters have little to complain about when ministers propose extra funding for hospitals, suggestions for novel ways to fund adult social care – like the “dementia tax” – often prove controversial and end in tears.
You can read Andrew Gregory’s analysis in full here: Fixing UK social care will be biggest challenge yet for Louise Casey
Streeting says he is optimistic about prospects for cross-party talks over adult social care
Wes Streeting, speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, has said he is optimistic about the prospects of cross-party talks on the government’s plans for adult social care.
He told listeners:
We will have cross party talks next month. And I’m really encouraged by the fact that since the election, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Reform have all said that they want to work cross-party on this.
We will work on the on the setup of the commission. We will work throughout the commission, and I hope that when the commission reports ahead of the next general election, we can all agree on the direction on social care for the long term.
He said previous plans to reform adult social care had floundered when the people proposing them – he cited Gordon Brown and Theresa May – have then faced election, which is, Streeting said, “because of the way that bad politics gets in the way of genuine attempts to tackle this crisis.”
Challenged by presenter Nick Robinson that with a large majority there was no need for Labour to obtain consensus, and that they could simply announce their plans and legislate for them, Streeting disagreed. He said:
I believe even more strongly today that we need to build a genuine cross-party consensus in the way that the Labour government established after 1948 about the NHS. A national consensus around what a national care service ought to be, and how it is organised.
He continued:
One of the great legacies of that 1945 Labour government is that although the Tories voted against the creation of the NHS 22 times, broadly speaking, and we’ve had our ups and downs and our differences and certainly different performances under different governments, but broadly speaking, that NHS has run according to the same tram lines that were agreed in 1948 as a public service free at the point of use.
Wes Streeting has set out overnight for the Guardian his view on the new Labour government’s proposal for adult social care reform. The health secretary wrote:
By 2050, there will be 4 million more people aged 65+ in England than today. If we do nothing, real social care costs are expected to nearly double by 2038, compared with 2018 numbers. Many more people will be left without the care they need, the burdens will fall on the health service and our NHS will be overwhelmed. We can’t keep paying a heavier and heavier price for failure. Our NHS can’t afford to keep bearing a heavier burden. We can’t afford not to act.
Labour took a lot of flak in the general election campaign for not spelling out in more detail our plans for a National Care Service. I was honest about the reason why – general election campaigns are where plans for social care go to die.
Over the past 15 years, there have been plenty of good ideas for how to address this crisis, but a lack of good politics. This government is committed to doing politics differently. Today, I am announcing an independent commission on building a National Care Service. The commission will publish its interim report next year and conclude towards the end of the parliament. Previous reviews on different aspects of social care, including Andrew Dilnot’s work on care costs, will be fed into the commission. It’s fair to say that it won’t be starting from scratch.
You can read the Wes Streeting article in full here: Britain has a social care crisis. Here’s how Labour plans to fix it
Streeting defends proposed timeline for commission into adult social care reform
Health secretary Wes Streeting has defended the government’s proposed timeline for reforming social care.
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme he stressed there would be action taken in this parliament. He said “successive governments led by Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and the SNP have all failed on social care.”
He continued:
If anyone is going to help us to break the cycle of bad politics, knock heads together, and forge the national consensus I think we need on social care, it is Louise Casey.
And that work will begin in April. It will report initially next year. And within three years I hope we will have built the consensus we need to build a national care service fit to meet the challenges for older and disabled people in the 21st century.
Streeting continued by saying the government was clear “part one of the Casey commission isn’t reporting in 2028. It is reporting next year.”
He claimed “it will outline what we need to do during this parliament to lay the foundations for a national care service. So there’s going to be plenty going on in this parliament.”
He also defended the government’s record on social care so far, citing investments in adapting people’s homes to give people with disabilities greater independence, and an expansion of carers’ allowance.
Welcome and opening summary …
Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of UK politics for Friday.
-
Ministers are to launch a historic independent commission to reform adult social care, as they warned older people could be left without vital help and the NHS overwhelmed unless a “national consensus” was reached on fixing a “failing” system. The taskforce, to be led by the cross-bench peer Louise Casey, and health secretary Wes Streeting has been on the airwaves this morning to talk about the plans
-
Kemi Badenoch instructed her department to write to the Treasury about a potential tax break after an intervention from James Dyson, documents have revealed
-
Health minister Andrew Gwynne has told that Elon Musk “perhaps ought to focus on issues on the other side of the Atlantic” after the tech billionaire again attacks on British politicians
-
Twenty councillors at a local authority in Nottinghamshire have quit Labour, saying the party has “abandoned traditional Labour values” under Keir Starmer’s leadership
It is Martin Belam with you here today. You can reach me at martin.belam@theguardian.com.
