Britain’s Overhaul of Care for Older and Disabled Adults

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s latest plan to overhaul increasingly costly care for older and disabled adults will not be delivered until 2028 at the earliest. The government announced a three-year independent review to propose changes.

The Labour government, which took power in July, stated in its manifesto that it would create a “National Care Service” aimed at meeting the needs of vulnerable individuals and better integrating social care with the state-funded National Health Service.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, tasked Louise Casey, a former senior official known for high-profile reviews, to chair a commission focused on organizing and funding social care.

Despite numerous policy papers and reports into social care this century, governments have struggled to find a viable solution and to agree on long-term funding. Former Prime Minister Theresa May proposed a plan during the 2017 election campaign that suggested those who could afford it should pay more for care, but it was labeled a “dementia tax” by opponents, leading to its abandonment after her electoral support dropped.

The new commission, which will invite opposition parties to participate, aims to identify key issues by mid-2026 and provide long-term recommendations by 2028.

Streeting noted that efforts to stabilize the sector had begun, as lawmakers reported chronic underfunding, severe staff shortages, and rising waiting lists.

With an ageing society and care costs expected to double in the next 20 years, longer-term action is essential. “The independent commission will work to build a national consensus around a new National Care Service to meet the needs of older and disabled people into the 21st century,” he stated.

“We are appointing one of our country’s leading public service reformers, and Whitehall’s greatest do-er, to finally grasp the nettle on social care reform.”