A civilised society has duty to provide dignified social care

THIS week we heard the Health Secretary say you cannot solve the problems of the NHS without a stable social care system.

- Damian Green

I would like to nominate this as an early entry for 2025's definition of a small mercy. Wes Streeting is right, of course. The perma-crisis in many emergency departments happens because patients cannot be moved out of A&E into medical wards.

And this is because about one in seven of the beds on those wards is occupied by someone who ought to be in a care setting, not stuck in hospital. This in turn is because there are not enough home care workers or residential care home places.

If this recognition of a longterm social care crisis leads to effective action, it will be very welcome. But the social care sector is rightly wary, and a bit sceptical. Too often, the money given to the "health and care system" gets stuck inside the NHS, leaving social care as the Cinderella service, ignored and unprotected.

The anger among social care providers has resulted in that most unusual phenomenon a demo outside Parliament by the social care sector, under the banner of Providers Unite.

As Chair of the Social Care Foundation, I took part to show support and can report that there has never been a more polite and well-ordered march and rally.