Care England slams Queen's speech ‘missed opportunity’ for social care

The UK government is extending ‘years of neglect and disappointment’ by failing to set out plans for social care reform in the Queen’s speech, according to Care England.

The Queen said government proposals on social care reform "will be brought forward" but there was no further detail in her address marking the formal start of the parliamentary year.

Care England said care reform had been kicked into the long grass.

“This is a missed opportunity. We stand ready and willing to help the government deliver its manifesto commitment, but the Health and Care Bill which has a focus on the NHS, is not the vehicle to deliver this huge shift as it will not produce the system change that is necessary to ensure the future sustainability of the sector,” added chief executive Martin Green (pictured).

The head of the largest representative body of independent adult social care providers added it is “simply unfathomable” as to what will influence the government to bring about social care reform.

“Surely they can’t be waiting for provider failure and further chaos in the already overstretched NHS. The oven-ready plan is truly burning, or maybe the government forgot to ever put it in the oven,” Green said.

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