Lords debate social care in England

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On Thursday 10 October, members of the House of Lords debated the state of social care in England, and the case for a comprehensive social care strategy and further support for unpaid carers.

Debate

Baroness Tyler of Enfield (Liberal Democrats), former director of the government’s Social Exclusion Unit, put forward the debate.

This is a general debate. During debates, members put their experience to use to discuss current issues and draw the government's attention to concerns. 

Members speaking

Members speaking included:

Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative), chief executive of Cerebral Palsy Scotland
Baroness Neuberger (Crossbench), chair of the Whittington Health NHS Trust
Baroness Pitkeathley (Labour), former CEO of Carers UK
Lord Turnberg (Labour), former president of the Royal College of Physicians.

Opening the debate, Baroness Tyler of Enfield said:

'There is wide consensus that things cannot carry on as they are. Our adult social care system is not fit for purpose and needs radical reform, following decades of political neglect and underfunding.'

Lord Hunt of Wirral added:

‘We must see a far greater recognition of the role that social care plays in supporting the NHS. A successful social care system is and always must be a core part of moving our cultural focus from cure to prevention and wellness, and to making the gradual shift from hospital care to community-based care.’

Baroness Merron (Labour), the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Health and Social Care, responded on behalf of the government:

'We will move from treatment to prevention. We will support local systems to prioritise early intervention, to begin to address unmet care needs and reduce the pressure on the health service and other services. There will also be a shift from hospital to home, which noble Lords have called for, and more care in the community.'