MPs launch inquiry into social care crisis chaired by ex-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to probe how much money is needed to stop system collapsing
- The MPs are looking to establish the amount needed in the next five years
- Staffing shortages and methods to improve recruitment will also be examined
- The Daily Mail is campaigning for an end to the dementia crisis
An inquiry into the social care crisis has been launched by MPs in an attempt to prevent the system from collapsing.
They will investigate how much extra money is needed from the Government over each of the next five years.
Staffing shortages and possible measures to improve recruitment will also be examined by the health and social care committee.
Chairman Jeremy Hunt said: ‘This long-standing crisis comes with a huge cost to families and individuals who can’t get the social care they need.
‘But it affects us all when a lack of availability prevents people leaving hospital, contributing to increased pressure on the NHS. We’ll be establishing an agreed figure that represents the extra funding that’s needed in each of the next five years in order to fix this.’ Mr Hunt, who was health secretary from 2012-18, added: ‘As well as extra money, we’ll be examining solutions to tackle staffing shortages in social care that would be responsive to workforce changes.’
Jeremy Hunt will be leading the investigation into how much the government should spend on social care in the next five years
The Daily Mail is campaigning for an end to the dementia crisis which forces thousands of people to sell their homes to fund crippling care costs. Last week Health Secretary Matt Hancock wrote to MPs and peers across Westminster to initiate talks on social care. ‘We need action now, finally, to seek a solution that can support future generations,’ he said in his letter.
Mr Hancock added he wanted to build a cross-party consensus as he asked colleagues for their views on how to ‘progress this crucial agenda’.
But ministers face a backlash after he admitted that ‘structured talks on reform options’ will not begin until May.
In last December’s election campaign, the Conservatives had promised to ‘urgently seek a cross-party consensus’ to bring in laws for long-term reform so no one would have to sell their home to pay for care. And in his first speech as PM last July, Boris Johnson had pledged to ‘fix the social care crisis once and for all’.
However, the Government has failed to launch any formal discussions or unveil any of its own proposals.
The inquiry will also consider how staffing shortages have affected care given
The MPs are asking the public, organisations and others with relevant expertise to submit evidence to their inquiry by April 14.
Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said: ‘This inquiry is another important step in building towards a long-term, sustainable funding solution.
‘Our analysis published ahead of the Budget shows adult social care services face a funding gap of almost £4billion by 2025 just to cover basic inflationary and demographic pressures. This makes up almost two-thirds of the overall funding gap which councils face.’