Health and Social Care Committee announces inquiry into cost of inaction on adult social care reform

The House of Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee has announced that the topic of its first inquiry will be on the cost of inactions on adult social care reform for both older adults and working age adults. 

With political inaction on a new long-term arrangement for funding care and supporting ever since the Dilnot Commission reported 13 years ago, the inquiry will seek to establish the cost of inaction to the Treasury and the wider economy; for example, when people stop or reduce their working hours while they are waiting for the care they need or become full time unpaid carers.

However, to inform its inquiry, the Committee is also seeking written evidence submissions that respond to the following questions:

• 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? 

While neither housing with care (such as extra care housing) or telecare is explicitly referred to, the inquiry presents an early opportunity to demonstrate the impact of housing and technology to deliver better personal care outcomes and system improvements.

If you are an Individual or organisation, the deadline for submissions is 11 December 2024.