Britain's latest promise to revamp the increasingly expensive social care system for elderly and disabled citizens won’t see implementation before 2028, according to an announcement made by

the government on Friday. The newly elected Labour administration revealed plans for a three-year independent review aimed at generating actionable reform proposals.

After taking office in July, the Labour government pledged in its manifesto to establish a "National Care Service" designed to provide better support for vulnerable groups and enhance the integration of social care with the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS).

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting disclosed that Louise Casey, a seasoned public official known for leading high-profile reviews, has been appointed to chair a commission tasked with determining the optimal structure and funding model for social care.

Despite numerous policy papers, investigations, and reports on social care over the past two decades, successive governments have struggled to develop a sustainable solution or reach a consensus on long-term funding strategies.

In 2017, then-Prime Minister Theresa May proposed a controversial plan requiring wealthier individuals to contribute more towards their care costs. However, widespread criticism branded it as a "dementia tax," leading to its abandonment after a significant drop in her poll lead. Ultimately, the fallout contributed to her loss of a parliamentary majority.

The newly announced commission will work in collaboration with opposition parties, aiming to identify key issues by mid-2026 and deliver long-term recommendations by 2028, the government confirmed.

Streeting emphasized that immediate efforts are already underway to stabilize the sector, which, according to a parliamentary report in September, suffers from chronic underfunding, acute staffing shortages, and growing waiting lists.

However, given the country’s ageing population and the projected doubling of care costs over the next two decades, long-term structural reform remains essential, he added.

"Our goal is to build a broad national consensus around a new National Care Service that can effectively meet the needs of older and disabled citizens well into the 21st century," Streeting said.

"To achieve this, we’re appointing one of the most respected figures in public service reform, a proven problem-solver in government, to finally tackle the longstanding issue of social care reform." Photo by Dean Molyneaux, Wikimedia commons.