Social Care

Lord Laming Excerpts

Tuesday 24th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

It will come as no surprise to the noble Baroness that we are looking at the recommendations of the Health and Social Care Select Committee report and will come forward with our responses. It is of course vital to look at the impact of the model that we have now on society, on the people involved and on the economy. The various debates we have had in this House in the time I have been here have picked that up and recognised the valuable contribution that carers make to the economy. We have to start taking the holistic view moving forward. That is why we have the commission: to look at all the different aspects, improve the situation and make progress.

[Lord Laming (CB)]

Does the Minister agree that the Government will not achieve their ambitions for the National Health Service without also having a well-developed and successful plan of development to make social care services easily accessible, properly trained and well respected? Do the Government have a development plan in mind for social care?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises such an important point. I am sure he will also be thinking about the vexed issue of hospital discharge and all the issues that are creating such difficulties in the system. I emphasise that adult social care is part of our vision for a neighbourhood health service, shifting care from hospitals to communities, with the NHS working alongside local authorities, social care providers and the voluntary sector. I am sure we are all looking forward to the announcement of the 10-year health plan, looking at how we can move healthcare from hospitals to the community but recognising that all agencies out in the community have a vital part to play to make this story successful.