Theresa May tells MPs 'We will be publishing a green paper later this year'

Prime Minister Theresa May promised a social care green paper will be published this year, when asked if she would give social care insurance “her fullest consideration” to protect everyone from “potentially catastrophic costs of care”.

Green paper pledge

The question from Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, Kevin Hollinrake, referred to the health and local government select committee inquiry recommendation for a social insurance system which he said “has been so successful in Germany”.

During PMQs (17 October), Theresa May told her MP: “It is important that we get social care on a sustainable footing for the future and alleviate the short-term pressures which come on social care and health systems.

“We will be publishing a green paper later this year, setting out proposals for reform. It will look across the board at a number of proposals that have been put forward in this area and will certainly consider those that have been put forward by the committee.”

Social prescribing to tackle loneliness

The Prime Minister’s promise to deliver a green paper mapping out how social care will work in the future to help people requiring care, comes two days after she launched her loneliness strategy. Her loneliness action plan revealed GPs will be able to prescribe social activities to tackle loneliness amongst older people.

Ms May confirmed all GPs in England will be able to refer patients experiencing loneliness to community activities and voluntary services by 2023 and announced £1.8m of funding to tackle what she called “one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.”

Three quarters of GPs have said they can see up to five patients a day who suffer from loneliness. Loneliness has been linked to illnesses including heart disease, strokes and Alzheimer's disease.

A cross-government ministerial group on loneliness includes the world’s first ‘Minister for Loneliness’ Tracey Crouch and care minister Caroline Dinenage. Minister for Loneliness, Tracey Crouch said: “By bringing together health services, businesses, local authorities, charities and community groups we will raise awareness of loneliness and help people build connections to lead happier and healthier lives.”

Care minister Caroline Dinenage said: “The effect of loneliness on health has been compared to that of smoking. We need to start talking about our social wellbeing too, with social connections being an important part of that.”

Too many elderly rely on TV for company

It is estimated 200,000 elderly people in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month and too many admit that their only companion each day is their television set.

In a PMQs session dominated by questions about Brexit negotiations, older people’s social and financial wellbeing cropped up in a question from Ian Lucas, Labour MP for Wrexham.

Mr Lucas asked Ms May: “Pensioners over 75 face having to find an extra £150.50 every year if current proposals to take away free tv licences come to fruition.

“Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for this policy, speak to the BBC and find a solution that doesn’t pickpocket pensioners.”

Ms May told the House, the tv licence change was “part of the last BBC settlement. The money is being made available to the BBC and they will take decisions about how they operate on this.”

To read the Prime Minister’s loneliness strategy ‘A connected society: a strategy for tackling loneliness - laying the foundations for change’ (published this week) click here