Queen's Speech reaction

Commenting on the mention of a draft bill on adult social care in the Queen’s Speech, Sue Brown, head of public policy at the deafblind charity Sense, says: “We are disappointed that the Government has not delivered on its promises around adult social care. The White Paper is incredibly overdue and a draft Bill is not enough – we had hoped for a firm commitment to take a Bill through Parliament because older and disabled people need reform not more delays.  

“The Government has procrastinated too long – the sooner we address the social care crisis the less it will cost society in the long term. So along with the 85 other organisations who wrote to the Prime Minister yesterday, we are calling on the Government to make social care a top priority so that older and disabled people can do more than just survive because the social care system is in disarray.

“A deafblind person’s greatest need is social care that supports them to communicate with others and navigate the world. At the moment many do not receive support at all or are being forced to pay huge costs. Urgent reform of the system is vital to get the social care they need to access society.”