The care taskforce needs boldness, not buzzwords | Letters

The announcement of a new commission on social care has been met with an audible sigh from commentators, family carers and people needing care and support (Ministers plan biggest shake-up of adult social care in England for decades, 3 January). We’ve all been here before, built up expectations of reform and dared to hope things would change, only to face disappointment through the inaction of successive governments. There is little to inspire confidence that this time will be different. But could it be?The appointment of Louise Casey to chair the commission is to be welcomed – she has a track record of cutting through the weeds and delivering unequivocal conclusions and recommendations. But it’s a massive challenge given the repeated failures of past commissions and policy endeavour

Tell us how you have been affected by the winter flu crisis in England

The rise in people with flu being admitted to hospital in England quadrupled last month with at least a dozen hospitals declaring critical incidents. Other pressures on the NHS include Covid, norovirus and chronic issues such as a lack of available beds.Health services issue critical incident declarations when their services become so overwhelmed they struggle to deliver critical services, risking patient safety. Hospitals in Birmingham, Cornwall, Hampshire, Liverpool, Northamptonshire and Plymouth are among those affected.We want to hear from patients who have experienced flu this winter and what it has been like getting treatment

‘Get this done’: Andrew Dilnot attacks three-year plan for English social care

Downing Street’s plan to spend three years preparing a blueprint to overhaul England’s social care is “inappropriate” given the urgency of the crisis facing frail, ill and disabled people, a leading care expert has told MPs.Sir Andrew Dilnot, the architect of previous government-commissioned attempts to reform adult social care funding, said that with clear backing from Keir Starmer, new plans could feasibly be in place by the end of the year.“I think it’s so blindingly – excuse my language – bleedin’ obvious that something should be done here, that, in the end, in an intelligent, affluent, civilised society, we get this done,” Dilnot said.Appearing before the Commons health and social care committee on Wednesday, he urged ministers to speed up the reform process: “I think it’s perfectly, perfectly feasible for the government to expect … by the end of 2025, to say: ‘Actually, we know what needs to be done, this is what we’re going to do.’”He added that he thought reform would not happen unless the proposed changes received political backing from the very top – and he urged the prime minister to “get behind” the changes

What is driving the winter flu crisis in England?

At least a dozen hospitals have declared critical incidents as the rise in flu admissions and respiratory illnesses has led to “exceptionally high demands”.Health services issue critical incident declarations when their services become so overwhelmed they struggle to deliver critical services, risking patient safety. Hospitals in Birmingham, Cornwall, Hampshire, Liverpool, Northamptonshire and Plymouth are among those affected, after figures reveal the number of people admitted to hospital in England with flu quadrupled last month.We take a look at what is driving the crisis, and whether the situation is likely to be repeated next winter.Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) suggests flu levels and hospital admissions are higher than this time last year

Tories’ push for new grooming inquiry would ‘kill’ child safety bill, says Phillipson

The Conservatives’ push for a new national grooming inquiry that would block the child safety bill is “absolutely sickening”, Bridget Phillipson has said.The education secretary said the opposition party’s plan to amend the government’s children wellbeing and schools bill on Wednesday, which she called the “single biggest piece of children safeguarding legislation in a generation”, would “kill it stone dead”.The amendment Kemi Badenoch’s party will bring forward will call for ministers to establish a “national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation, focused on grooming gangs”.It follows Elon Musk’s calls for a new inquiry into child grooming gangs, even though an independent investigation led by Prof Alexis Jay concluded its work in 2022.None of its recommendations have been enacted, but Keir Starmer has vowed to do so instead of launching a new inquiry

NHS trusts declare critical incidents due to ‘exceptionally high demands’ in A&E

A number of NHS trusts have declared critical incidents due to “exceptionally high demands” in emergency departments, with a patient at one hospital forced to wait 50 hours to be admitted to a ward. Hospitals in Birmingham, Cornwall, Hampshire, Liverpool, Northamptonshire and Plymouth have declared critical incidents. East Sussex hospitals trust announced it is temporarily limiting visiting to one visitor per patient per day to reduce the impact of flu. It said in a statement: “This includes those accompanying people waiting in our emergency department. “Exemptions apply to end-of-life care, our special care baby unit and when visiting children under 16