Former Health Secretary warns Green Paper may never happen

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Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell has warned that the government could fail to deliver its Green Paper.

Mr Dorrell, who was speaking at the LaingBuisson Social Care Conference, said the uncertain political situation could make delivering the Green Paper all but impossible.

“The Green Paper will require a government with a secure majority and genuine authority and the brain space to address one of the most difficult policy questions,” Mr Dorrell said.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock recently revealed the Green Paper had suffered the latest in a series of delays due to Brexit (see Health Secretary confirms Green Paper Brexit delay).

Mr Dorrell said: “The story of the development of policy in this area is one of government failure.”

The former Health Secretary said successive governments had failed to tackle the issue of funding social care as part of a range of joined up public services.

ADASS president Julie Ogley said she too was on the “never” end of the Social Care Green Paper spectrum.

Addressing her audience, Ms Ogley said they should be the ones determining the future direction of social care, stressing there was an opportunity for the sector to step into the “policy vacuum”.

The ADASS chief described the lack of a national workforce strategy for social care as a “national disgrace”. She added that ADASS was carrying out research into what a national workforce strategy should contain.

“We need to develop a new language to help people understand how valuable social care is,” Ms Ogley said.

Image copyright: LaingBuisson

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