A letter published in The Guardian today, 19 October 2026, argues that funding social care should be a collective responsibility, similar to how the NHS was originally conceived. The author, Roger Steer from Sheffield, suggests that social care should be funded through general taxation and be free at the point of need.
Steer states that the additional costs as a percentage of GDP for this approach are small and affordable compared to other countries. He also claims that boosting spending on low-paid workers in social care would have a high economic multiplier effect, potentially paying for itself without impacting government deficits.
In another letter, Janet Dubé from Peebles, Scottish Borders, recalls the privatisation of social care in the 1970s and the subsequent increase in the state's bill for residential care. Dubé suggests an audit of the transfer of public assets to private individuals and companies, starting with social care.
A third letter from Sally Byers in Sheffield highlights the importance of treating and speaking about people living with dementia with respect and dignity. Byers recommends consulting a 2014 guide to language for journalists, produced by the Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project.