Speaking just before the publication of the government’s White Paper on social care the head of one of the UK’s largest providers of home care services, Saga, said “empty words will not deliver care.”
Commenting on the government’s failure to commit to funding a cap on care costs for individuals Dr Ros Altmann the director-general of Saga, said: “Funding is the crucial missing piece of the care puzzle and the longer the system is left as it is the more families will suffer. It’s not acceptable to use the fiscal deficit as an excuse.
“With an ageing population, the state obviously has to spend more on care. The only choice is whether to spend more in a planned way, by making reforms that increase social care provision, or to spend in an unplanned way, when more end up in hospital – at exorbitant cost – just because their care needs were not addressed earlier. This would be a lose-lose situation with people being worse off, NHS resources being overloaded and people falling into a more expensive care system.
“A fairer partnership between state and private funding would encourage more money to be set aside for care. People accept they must pay something, but should not face losing everything.
“If this week’s announcement doesn’t reform funding, it will fail to address the crisis. No more delays and consultations, we need action. It is time for brave leadership to ensure a better later life for us and our loved ones. A civilised society should expect no less.”
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