“Let’s actually address social care while we still have the last bit of time to do it, rather than wait until it is an intolerable national crisis.” – Damian Green
In a stark warning issued during the latest Voices of Care podcast episode, hosted by Newcross Healthcare, former Deputy Prime Minister and Chair of the Social Care Foundation, Damian Green MP, calls for political honesty and immediate reform in UK social care. In conversation with host Suhail Mirza, Green highlights the urgent need for reform, the financial realities of care funding, and the critical role of workforce integration in tackling the ongoing crisis.
The Need for Immediate Action on Social Care
As the social care crisis continues to threaten the security of vulnerable people, Green warns that “both parties are guilty of weaponising care costs.” rather than seeking sustainable solutions.
Green argues that demographic shifts mean the crisis is already here and will only worsen without decisive action.
“Simple demographics tell you that it is in crisis now. And the pressures are going to get worse.”
While he welcomed the creation of the Social Care Commission and expressed admiration for Baroness Casey, he pointedly asked for an acceleration to its reporting timescale, stating:
“I would gently and politely suggest that it’s not going to take a year to work out what the problems are in the care sector.”
Radical Thinking on Funding
Green points to public finances as a major barrier to social care reform, noting that the government must confront difficult truths about funding:
“The public finances are running hot.”
Green said, “the idea that people have, that you can just increase taxation is probably less viable now than it was 10 or 15 years ago“. Instead, he challenged politicians to be radical; and proposed a universal basic entitlement to care for all who need it (funded by the state) and using a “pension” like contribution model for those wanting care services beyond the basic entitlement.
He proposes looking at alternative funding models, including insurance-based solutions, arguing:
“You could set up an insurance system that would enable all this money to be pooled.”
Workforce Challenges and the Role of Immigration
Addressing the staffing challenges within the care sector, Green stresses that a flourishing care sector is essential for local economies and job creation:
“There are huge benefits to having a flourishing care sector in your town.”
However, he acknowledges the challenges of reduced immigration and the necessity of encouraging more domestic workers into the profession:
“If we have less immigration, then more of us are going to have to work.”
Role of entrepreneurs
“If you created a greater desire in the whole ecosystem for prevention rather than cure, then I’m sure entrepreneurs would come along with the idea saying, well, what we could do is this and they would come up with products and so on.”
A Radical Vision for the Future of Social Care
Green shares his vision for a long-term, sustainable solution for social care, warning that without action, the burden will unfairly fall on future generations:
“Our children are going to subsidise your care. It just feels to me to be wrong and unfair.”
Green ends with a with chilling prediction on inaction:
“At some stage, we’re not going to have a slow and quiet decline into a crisis. Something is going to go pop.”
