Calls have been made to “future proof” the adult social care sector and address disparities between it and the NHS, as a major investigation into the UK’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic resumes. The extreme challenges faced by social care workers, people receiving care and their families during the pandemic are being investigated, as part of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. These include organisations representing the bereaved, care workers, nurses and decisionmakers. He concluded his evidence by calling for a “future proofing” of adult social care with better resources and staffing. Mr Friedman said that there was a misunderstanding by policymakers and the public about what social care is, with too much of a focus on care homes, and not enough on domiciliary and home care.
