The Liberal Democrats have urged the government to open cross-party talks on undertaking reform of the social care sector.
The party has invited the government, Labour and leading care organisations to begin talks in earnest to “finally make the progress people deserve”, said leader Sir Ed Davey (pictured).
In his keynote speech at the party’s virtual autumn conference, Davey said the Covid crisis makes the need to fix social care more urgent.
“If ministers really care about the NHS, they need to care about care. The cross-party talks on social care – long promised by Boris Johnson – cannot wait any longer,” he added.
Davey accused the Tories of “ripping up” the Lib Dems’ work in the 2010-15 coalition government to tackle the funding crisis in adult social care.
“Through the Dilnot Commission and the Care Act, we carefully stitched together a cross-party agreement, based on the same values that underpin our NHS,” he said.
Davey pledged his party would be the voice of nine million carers in the UK.
“For this pandemic has reminded everyone of something Liberal Democrats have always understood: caring for people’s health doesn’t stop at the hospital exit, or the GP’s surgery door,” he said.
“You can only truly protect our NHS, if you protect our care homes too. You can only truly speak up for doctors and nurses, if in the same breath, you stand up for carers. For young carers and professional carers, paid and unpaid, in care homes and in people’s homes,” he added.
