• Former Conservative minister Damian Green and the Centre for Policy Studies have published Fixing the Care Crisis
• The report recommends that the social care system should adopt the model of the state pension to produce a new Universal Care Entitlement.
• It suggests that funding for this model could come from taxing the winter fuel allowance and diverting savings from the Spending Review.
• As a last resort, a 1% National Insurance surcharge could be imposed on those over 50.

Responding to Fixing the care crisis by the Centre of Policy Studies, the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin said:

“This report is an important addition to the much-needed debate we must have about the future of our social care system.

“For too long action to address this critical issue has been put off. We can not wait any longer.

“The NHS and social care are interlinked. Delays in securing a sustainable social care system mean vulnerable people are struggling to access the care they need, close to home. This in turn often leads to a rise in avoidable admissions and long stays in hospital.

For too long action to address this critical issue has been put off. We can not wait any longer.

Miriam Deakin    

“While we welcome the broad consensus around increasing the funding for social care, the method of delivering is a political decision for government to make.

“NHS Providers is one of 15 health organisations in the Health for Care coalition which is led by the NHS Confederation, and calling for urgent action to address the social care crisis. The forthcoming green paper must set out viable options and propose bold action to put social care on the sustainable footing it so desperately needs."