Select Committee · Health and Social Care Committee

Adult Social Care Reform: The Cost of Inaction

Status: Open Opened: 31 Oct 2024 15 recommendations 12 conclusions 1 report

Successive governments have presented reform ideas for adult social care, yet few of these have been implemented. This inquiry seeks to understand what this inaction is costing. We will investigate the cost of inaction to individuals, the NHS, local authorities and also to the wider economy and HM Treasury, focussing not only on the financial …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
2nd Report - Adult Social Care Reform: the cost of inaction HC 368 5 May 2025 27 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
6 Conclusion 2nd Report - Adult Social Care Reform: … Acknowledged

Unpaid carers face significant personal and financial costs due to social care reform failures.

Unpaid carers are bearing the highest cost from successive governments’ failures to reform adult social care. They provide care worth £184 billion, “equivalent to a second NHS”, but this is often unrecognised and comes at great personal, emotional and financial cost as well as a cost to their own health. …

Government response. The government agrees that publishing cost estimates of delayed discharges would improve transparency and will explore how best to publish this data, acknowledging methodological challenges.
Department of Health and Social Care
17 Conclusion 2nd Report - Adult Social Care Reform: … Acknowledged

Inadequate adult social care system imposing significant costs on the NHS, particularly from delayed discharges

Social care is a vital public service in and of itself and should not be valued only for how it supports the NHS. However, the current state of adult social care is imposing significant costs on the NHS. The best estimate we found was that delayed discharges alone are costing …

Government response. The government agrees that publishing cost estimates for delayed discharges would in principle improve transparency but notes methodological challenges. It commits to exploring how best to publish such data, without a firm commitment to immediately produce the comprehensive data requested …
Department of Health and Social Care
20 Conclusion 2nd Report - Adult Social Care Reform: … Acknowledged

Adult social care system undermining Integrated Care System development due to funding disputes

The current state of the adult social care system is undermining the relationship building that is fundamental to the development of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). Too much relies on local leadership, where often it feels that progress is made despite funding mechanisms rather than because of them. By maintaining a …

Government response. The government states it agrees with the conclusion and highlights its commitment of £9 billion to the Better Care Fund for 2025-26, refocusing it on prevention and community care. However, it does not explicitly commit to addressing how the current …
Department of Health and Social Care
23 Conclusion 2nd Report - Adult Social Care Reform: … Acknowledged

Social care reform integral to creating a fit-for-future NHS, cannot be separate process

The Government will not succeed in creating an NHS fit for the future unless it effectively reforms the social care system. Social care reform is an integral part of NHS reform and cannot be a separate process. (Conclusion, Paragraph 117)

Government response. The government acknowledges the conclusion by stating the independent commission has autonomy and its first phase will focus on supporting the health mission within ongoing reforms. However, it does not explicitly commit to ensuring social care reform is fully integrated …
Department of Health and Social Care
25 Conclusion 2nd Report - Adult Social Care Reform: … Acknowledged

Government must view social care as an enabler and driver of economic growth

The Government needs to fundamentally change how it views the social care sector, seeing it as an enabler and talking about it in those terms in the public debate - both for the invaluable service it provides to so many people and also as a driver of economic growth. We …

Government response. The government strongly agrees that adult social care is an important enabler for economic growth and contributes significantly to the economy. However, it reiterates that a dedicated 'growth strategy' for the sector is not considered necessary or proportionate, consistent with …
Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
19 Mar 2025 Caroline Abrahams · Age UK, Dr Maria Petrillo · Centre for Care, University of Sheffield, Holly, Jayne Simpson, Keyaan, Tom Gentry · Age UK View ↗
5 Mar 2025 Anu Singh · NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, Cllr David Fothergill · Local Government Association, Dr Birju Bartoli · Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Hugh Evans · Bristol City Council, Isabel Lawicka · NHS Providers, Melanie Williams · Association of Directors of Adult Social Services View ↗
5 Feb 2025 Anita Charlesworth · Health Foundation, Ms Emily Holzhausen CBE · Carers UK, Oonagh Smyth · Skills for Care View ↗
8 Jan 2025 Kathryn Smith · Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), Simon Bottery · King's Fund, Sir Andrew Dilnot CBE · Commission on Funding of Care and Support View ↗