Health secretary Sajid Javid has cast doubt on the government’s promise to come up with a plan to fix the social care system by the end of 2021 – saying he could not put “an exact date” on the commitment.
Boris Johnson pledged in July 2019 to “fix the crisis in social care once and for all – with a clear plan we have prepared.”
Downing Street blamed the Covid crisis for the delay, but former health secretary Matt Hancock said in June that the plan would be ready by the end of this year.
Mr Hancock’s successor Mr Javid has now raised fears it could be pushed back once again – saying only that he hoped his department would be able outline a “general sense of direction” soon.
“I do hope we’re able to come forward with plans,” the minister told the Local Government Association (LGA) conference on Thurday. “I don’t want to put an exact date on it, but the work is intense.”
Mr Javid added: “Whilst we may not be able to announce the whole plan that we’ve been working on together, with all the details there. But I think we could set out, quite soon, the general sense of direction in terms of a new offering on social care.”
Labour was scathing about Mr Javid’s comments, saying those who work and rely on the ailing sector had “heard enough excuses” from the government.
Shadow minister for social care Liz Kendall said: “The government have had over a decade to set out the ‘general direction’ of their social care reforms, yet have repeatedly failed to do so.”
She added: “Social care staff, users and their families have heard enough excuses – it’s time to see the plan the prime minister said he had prepared in 2019.”
Care bodies and sector leaders had previously warned that spending commitments needed to address the national crisis in social care had to be made this autumn.
Andrew Dilnot, who led a major review into social care funding in 2011, warned earlier this year that a failure to outline plans in the autumn public spending review could leave the system unfixed until after the next general election.
“If we don’t make decisions this year, it’s very hard to see how they can be implemented before the next election,” he said. “I really do think this autumn is the time.”
Addressing the challenges faced by the NHS, Mr Javid warned that the winter’s flu season could be more challenging than previous years due to a low natural immunity during lockdowns.
The health secretary said the potential problems from flu underlined the need to lift the curbs in England this summer, rather than risk a wave of Covid cases coinciding with the annual NHS winter pressures.
“All the public health officials that we have, the scientists, our epidemiologists, are saying that it’s much better to open up going into the summer, for lots of reasons, than just waiting to do it in the winter.”
This winter we see “a much lower level of immunity than we normally have” to flu because of the lack of cases last year, he added.
Mr Javid also joked about his predecessor Mr Hancock losing his job after being caught on camera kissing an aide.
“I hope my camera is on, is my camera on?” he asked as he dialled in to the LGA conference, adding: “I mean, the one on my laptop – not the one in the ceiling.”
