What will a coalition Government mean for the care sector?

The ministerial team has been assembled and political life has finally returned to Westminster today, making it the first day in Parliament for a historic coalition, the like of which has never been seen in modern UK politics. Such an outcome was not on the minds of political commentators as 13 years of Labour Government gave way to a surprisingly amenable deal, announced on the Downing Street lawn by new Prime Minister and Conservative leader David Cameron and his deputy the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

Media murmurings seem so far divided on whether to take an optimistic view of the collaboration that could be the politics of the future, or whether to subscribe to the pessimism of those who believe coalitions do not suit UK Governments and therefore this one will crumble long before a full term of office is in sight. But before the fog of scepticism is lifted it is important to recognise that a society still in the grips of economic fragility and the changing demographic of an ageing population has no choice but to treat the young days of this coalition with respect, knowing it can not afford to wait for history to settle before, in turn, receiving the respect it so badly needs.

The economy itself was visibly a major factor of the coalition agreement, but the lack of any specific mention of the needs of our elderly, an anxious care sector or the welfare of dementia sufferers will no doubt have disappointed many campaigners and convinced them that the fight is still on to make sure that care policy is treated as among the top priorities of this new political era.

To their credit, party leaders have not appeared dismissive or ignorant of the problem. In fact David Cameron’s first speech to the nation, from the doors of Downing Street, spoke of the need to look after our country’s older people and most frail. However, the longer we wait for a dedicated policy or reform to be announced the hotter the issue is likely to become, especially as the fear that the Government could find itself bound by the need to reduce the country’s deficit is likely to continue hanging in the air until the new-look politics is shown to have direction on the issue.

It is likely we’ll never know for sure whether the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s pledge to establish a National Care Service was a firm plan or a desperate attempt to court the ‘grey vote’ that failed. Certainly there were enough dubious comments from elsewhere in the Labour party, despite their precarious electoral position, to suggest the latter. Looking ahead though, it is likely the issue of healthcare will provide easy mud for the Labour opposition to sling in future years if this Parliament is not seen to get to grips with the sector.