Labour has not contacted other parties about new talks to resolve England’s social care crisis, but there is demand for a workable plan that can command cross-party support.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said this summer that he wanted to hear ideas from all political parties, part of a renewed effort to make progress on a crisis that has gone unresolved for more than a decade.
However, Tory and Liberal Democrat sources said they had received no approach from the government about a new programme of talks. There have also been suggestions that the government will set up a royal commission to find a solution, although industry figures said they had not heard that such a move was imminent.
A Whitehall source said the government was working on plans for social care and it was too early to hold cross-party talks given the government had only been in power for two months.
Since the election, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has scrapped a cap on social care spending that was due to come into effect next year as part of her cost-saving drive. The measure was expected to cost £1bn a year. Nothing has yet been announced in its place. The care sector warns that the sector is struggling with underpaid staff and unfilled positions, while cash-strapped councils are struggling to serve large numbers of people who cannot afford their care.
In reality, some senior figures in the Labour government do not see cross-party talks as the answer to solving the social care problem. They have pointed out that previous talks have been effectively futile because the parties involved have refused to agree on how to fund the schemes. “Ultimately, this is a political decision,” said one senior official.
Streeting called for interparty talks to improve the current system before a general election. “The Lib Dems have some good ideas, other parties have some good ideas, let’s try to work together … to see if we can do something that has eluded and escaped every government,” he said.
Insiders reiterated that ministers had found a health service in a worse state than they had feared since taking office, but said they needed to carry out a thorough review before they could implement reforms to social care.
It comes amid concerns in Whitehall about the extent to which the government has ruled out personal tax rises, given the pressure on health spending. Added pressure has been added by Labour leader Keir Starmer’s subsequent pledge not to pump any more money into the care system until NHS reform has taken place. Senior figures are reportedly urging him to make it clear that reform must come with upfront funding. They argue that the government cannot afford to delay boosting the NHS’s finances.
The Lib Dems have made improving healthcare services central to their plea to voters. “It is clearer than ever that we cannot fix the NHS unless we fix the crisis in social care,” said Helen Morgan, the party’s health and social care spokesperson. “Thousands of elderly patients are stuck in hospital beds, increasing the pressure on local health services and preventing people from receiving the dignified care they deserve.
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“We know this crisis will only get worse with an ageing population, so there is no time to lose. We stand ready to work with government to solve this problem, through cross-party talks on social care to find a long-term solution. We are really concerned that care and carers have been forgotten by ministers for far too long, and we are determined to ensure that does not happen now.”
Shadow care minister John Whittingdale said: “This new health secretary promised much, but so far we have seen little. His pledge to work together across parties to tackle the challenges facing our social care sector was the right thing to do, but until he delivers on his promises, his words are empty.”
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “Our social care system is broken and it is unacceptable that so many people are going without the care they need. We are committed to building a national care service, underpinned by national standards and delivered locally, to ensure everyone gets the care they need. We will build consensus on long-term reform and work with a range of stakeholders, including cross-party and people with lived experience.”