The newly formed House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee has launched an Inquiry into the cost of inaction in adult social care by successive governments.
The Committee says: "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 cost, but also on the personal costs and on potential benefits that are being missed. The inquiry will consider social care for both older and working age adults."
The Committee welcomes submissions from anyone with answers to the questions in the call for evidence.
Specific questions asked by the Inquiry are:
- How much is inaction on adult social care reform costing the NHS and local authorities, and what impact does this have on patients and the public?
- What NHS and local authority service reforms are not happening as a result of adult social care pressures, and what benefits are patients and the public missing out on?
- What is the cost of inaction to individuals and how might people’s lives change with action on adult social care reform?
- Where in the system is the cost of inaction on adult social care reform being borne the most?
- What contribution does adult social care make to the economy and HM Treasury and how might this change with action on reform?
- To what extent are the costs of inaction on adult social care reform considered by the Government when evaluating policies, including within the Budget and Spending Reviews? How should these costs be assessed and evaluated?
The closing date to submit evidence is Wednesday 11 December 2024.
