Privatisation of Care System a ‘Mistake’ as Private Care Providers Accused of Profiteering

LONDON Sept 20: Baroness Louise Casey, who is leading the government’s review of adult social care in England, criticised the privatisation of the care system and accused some private companies of profiteering from disabled people and taxpayers.

In an exclusive interview with ITV News, Casey said the NHS is failing people with learning disabilities, who, she argued, are often overlooked by healthcare professionals and denied the care and support they need. She linked these failings to the fact that people with learning disabilities die, on average, around 20 years earlier than the general population.

“I think that the National Health Service, particularly hospitals, are unable to sufficiently treat and look after people with learning disabilities,” Casey told ITV News.

She described a recent case involving a 70-year-old woman with profound learning disabilities who suffered a stroke and was admitted to a general hospital ward. According to Casey, staff refused to allow her carers to stay with her, despite their ability to understand her communication and needs. She said such cases reflect a healthcare system that can focus narrowly on medical conditions while failing to recognise its wider responsibility to patients requiring additional support.

Private care providers and profiteering
Casey also criticised the scale of private-sector involvement in adult social care, arguing that allowing large parts of the system to operate for profit was a “mistake”. She expressed particular concern about companies making substantial profits from caring for people with complex needs, while being funded by taxpayers.

“What I would just personally object to on behalf of the taxpayer is what I call profiteering,” she said.

Casey also questioned the ownership of care providers by foreign investment funds, private equity firms and healthcare companies. She said she believed care services should, where possible, be delivered by organisations based in Britain, while acknowledging that abruptly removing existing providers could disrupt essential services for vulnerable people.

Calls for social care reform
Casey said people with learning disabilities have been “completely forgotten” within the adult social care system and that families are frequently forced to navigate a complex and uncertain system without clear information about the support available to them.

She called for greater accountability from the government, arguing that responsibility for vulnerable people cannot simply be passed to regulators. Her commission is expected to publish its final recommendations on the future funding and organisation of adult social care in England by summer 2027, earlier than the previously announced 2028 timeline.

Casey declined to outline a specific funding model but said politicians must be honest with the public about the costs of social care and examine how existing funding is being spent. She questioned whether private providers retaining profit margins of 12% to 15% represented good value when planning the future of the sector.

Government and NHS response
The Department of Health and Social Care said people with learning disabilities deserve safe, compassionate care and acknowledged the significant health inequalities they face. It highlighted the rollout of mandatory learning disability and autism training for health and care staff, alongside the government’s commitment to establishing a National Care Service.

NHS England said it remains committed to improving care for people with learning disabilities, pointing to annual health checks, specialist learning disability nurses in hospitals and adjustments to medical records to help staff identify patients’ specific needs.

Casey’s review is expected to shape the future structure, regulation and funding of adult social care in England.

Casey also confirmed that she will deliver her final recommendations on how social care should be run and funded earlier than previously promised.

Previously, Keir Starmer had said the report wouldn’t be delivered until 2028, but she will now deliver it by the summer of 2027 after the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham called for a speeding up of the process.