Liberal Democrat MP Clive Jones has demanded that we “finally do things differently” to reach a cross-party solution to the social care crisis.
This comes as analysis from the Liberal Democrats reveals how many older and disabled adults in Wokingham are being denied the care they need.
New analysis by the party shows that 1,720 older people in Wokingham were denied care in 2024/25, along with 490 disabled working age adults.
The Liberal Democrats have set out three tests for new Prime Minister Andy Burnham on social care reforms, and have warned that a failure to act will be a catastrophe for families, for the NHS and for local services.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey met with Andy Burnham to begin cross- party talks on solving the crisis, following years of campaigning by the party for politicians to come together to find consensus on this issue.
The Liberal Democrat tests for reforms to end the social care crisis are:
1. Put family carers front and centre with guaranteed rights for every carer, including respite care and an overhaul of the broken Carer’s Allowance so that families can afford to care.
2. A universal safety net of care, including free personal care.
3. Protect people from catastrophic costs so no family sees their finances devastated by care needs.
There has been a major knock-on effect on the NHS from the crisis, with record numbers now stuck in hospitals who are medically fit to be discharged.
Party analysis has found that a record 2.46 million hospital bed days have been lost to delayed discharges so far in 2026, higher than the equivalent period for any previous year.
Liberal Democrat MP, Clive Jones, said: “Every week in Wokingham, I speak to families who have reached breaking point.
“Too many people are being left isolated and unsupported without the care they need. The crisis in social care is a millstone around the neck of our community.
It’s clobbering families in Wokingham, squeezing budgets for our local council services and undermining our NHS.
“There have been 22 failed attempts to fix social care in the last few decades. We have to do things differently this time. Liberal Democrats want to work across the party divide in order to find a lasting solution to this crisis.
“My priorities are clear: family carers must be at the heart of any proposals, everyone in Wokingham should be able to get care regardless of means, and no one should lose their home or life savings on catastrophic care costs.”
