by Richard HumphriesMany hope that White Paper 'Building the National Care Service' published last week will become a key staging post towards a reformed social care system.
If I had to choose a Beatles' song to describe the journey so far, it would be 'The Long and Winding Road' - and the destination still seems a long way in the distance.
The Royal Commission established way back in 1997 failed to persuade
the government to adopt its majority preference for free, tax-funded
personal care. Eight years elapsed before the government committed to
re-examine the issues, culminating in last year's Green Paper.
Despite frenetic activity, the publication of the White Paper days before the dissolution of parliament means that the government has run out of road for the time being.
The big idea of a national care service free at the point of need is certainly ambitious. It plucks at the emotional heartstrings connecting much of British society to the NHS. But it seems the earliest it could be fully implemented is 2016 - political light years away. This would make it 19 years since the Labour government first looked at the issue - the NHS was up and running in a fraction of that time.
The real underlying problem is that while everyone wants the benefits of a nationally consistent service that is free at the point of need, no-one is keen to pay for it. That politicians are reluctant to fight an election on a platform of compulsory contributions for care reflects a deeper public resistance to facing up to the costs of an ageing population - hence the political traction gained by the 'death tax' accusations - and why the tricky question of funding has been kicked into the long grass of a post-election commission.
The forthcoming general election will offer plenty of opportunities for social care to remain a key campaign issue. All parties should be pressed to set out clearly their own proposals. There needs to be honest dialogue with the public about how much good quality care would cost. Candidates should be quizzed about where they stand and what they would do, if elected, to promote change.
Richard Humphries is senior fellow at The King's Fund
Despite frenetic activity, the publication of the White Paper days before the dissolution of parliament means that the government has run out of road for the time being.
The big idea of a national care service free at the point of need is certainly ambitious. It plucks at the emotional heartstrings connecting much of British society to the NHS. But it seems the earliest it could be fully implemented is 2016 - political light years away. This would make it 19 years since the Labour government first looked at the issue - the NHS was up and running in a fraction of that time.
The real underlying problem is that while everyone wants the benefits of a nationally consistent service that is free at the point of need, no-one is keen to pay for it. That politicians are reluctant to fight an election on a platform of compulsory contributions for care reflects a deeper public resistance to facing up to the costs of an ageing population - hence the political traction gained by the 'death tax' accusations - and why the tricky question of funding has been kicked into the long grass of a post-election commission.
The forthcoming general election will offer plenty of opportunities for social care to remain a key campaign issue. All parties should be pressed to set out clearly their own proposals. There needs to be honest dialogue with the public about how much good quality care would cost. Candidates should be quizzed about where they stand and what they would do, if elected, to promote change.
Richard Humphries is senior fellow at The King's Fund
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