‘We cannot wait any longer’ Helen tells unprecedented social care rally

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan urged the Government to act to solve the crisis in social care as she addressed an unprecedented rally of care providers in Parliament.

Helen, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, spoke to a large crowd of carers including representatives from Shropshire’s more than 250 care providers on Tuesday.

She called on the Government to exempt care organisations from the “self-defeating” national insurance rise and to complete the social care review within the year instead of the scheduled three years.

It comes as new research from the House of Commons Library and commissioned by the Liberal Democrats reveals that the Government has shelled out close to £50 billion in social care funding for councils since 2017/18.

The amount the Government spends per year on this funding has soared more than five-fold to almost £10 billion a year.

Previous Liberal Democrat research also revealed that councils are having to pay a staggering £53,352 a year in nursing costs per pensioner, up more than £24,000 on 2015/16’s level of £29,276 a year - an 82% jump.

It means that social care in places like Shropshire now accounts for around 80% of the council’s budgets as services in other areas like bin collections are slashed.

Recent research by the Local Government Association also found that investing in earlier preventative support in social care would improve people’s lives and save £3.17 for every pound spent. The report found potential savings to the public purse could reach £11.1 billion if preventative health and social care is scaled up across the country.

MP for North Shropshire and Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Helen Morgan said, “This is the first time that social care providers have ever felt the need to protest in this way. If that isn’t enough of a wakeup call for the government then I do not know what is. This situation is simply unsustainable.

“The sector has been forced to take unprecedented action as it faces collapse under the weight of spiralling costs and a self-defeating National Insurance rise.

“The neglect that the Conservative Party showed towards the sector was unforgivable and brought us to this point, but the Labour government has done nothing but kick the can down the road on desperately needed reforms.

“It is not good enough for Ministers to say that social care reform will come in three years at the absolute earliest. Their review needs to be wrapped up within the year at the very latest. The sector and the people who rely on it simply cannot wait any longer.”