Lib Dems table King’s Speech amendment to “rescue social care” as half of care homes lost in some areas

EMBARGO: 22.30 22nd July 2024

• Lib Dems have tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech to rescue social care and call for a cross-party commission
• Ed Davey says that “people and their loved ones simply cannot wait any longer” after the Conservative Party “broke social care”
• Number of care homes in England has fallen by 1,455 (9.1%) since 2018 with half of care homes lost in some areas in “stark postcode lottery”

The Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech to rescue social care, as figures reveal the number of care homes in England has fallen by close to 1,500 since 2018.

The amendment calls for free personal care in England, better support for carers and a cross-party commission on social care to provide the desperately needed long-term reforms to the sector.

House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats shows the number of care homes in England has fallen from 16,020 in 2018 to 14,565 in 2024. Three-quarters (73%) of all constituencies in England have seen a fall in the number of care homes since 2018.

There is a deep crisis in social care with half a million people on waiting lists for care in residential settings or at home and one in 10 care staff positions are vacant.

There has also been a loss of nearly 6,000 care home beds since 2018 with some areas seeing sharp drop offs. In Hornsey and Wood Green 55% of beds have been lost, in Wythenshawe and Sale East it is 37% and Bristol South was 36% since 2018. 306 of the 534 constituencies in England have seen a reduction in the number of care home beds since 2018.

The Lib Dems have previously said that a rescue package for social care could be paid for by raising £4 billion through reversing the Conservatives tax cuts for the big banks since 2016. 

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“I know from speaking with people across the country in recent weeks and from my own personal experience just how broken our social care system is. People cannot find care homes nearby for their loved ones and when they do many cannot afford the spiralling cost of care.

“This stark postcode lottery reveals once again just how badly the Conservative Party damaged social care. Their neglect of local health and care services has driven our NHS into the ground and left families struggling to find care for their loved ones.

"I am proud the Liberal Democrats have tabled this amendment to the King's Speech to stand up for care and carers. We will be the voice of carers in this Parliament and work with others to find solutions to the big challenge of social care."

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Full text of the Liberal Democrat amendment:

but, while welcoming measures aimed at upholding standards in public life, which have been neglected under UK, Scottish and Welsh governments in recent years; humbly regret that the Gracious Speech does not include sufficient measures to address the crisis in health and care, such as the introduction of a statutory duty on the Secretary of State to deliver a legal right to see a GP within seven days, a guarantee for cancer patients to start treatment within 62 days from urgent referral, free personal care in England, better support for carers, and a cross-party commission on social care; and call on the Government to stop the scandal of sewage dumping against which the previous Government failed to take action, including by replacing Ofwat with a new regulator, to support families with the cost of living and tackle poverty, including by introducing a national food strategy, extending free school meals to all children in poverty, and by scrapping the two child benefit cap, to ensure that rural communities and farmers receive adequate support, and to reform the system for parliamentary elections by replacing first-past-the-post with proportional representation, so that every vote counts.

House of Commons Library research can be found here.

Source for the number waiting for care and vacancies can be found here.