The Government has published the terms of reference for the Casey Commission’s review of adult social care, but critics remain concerned care is being ‘put to the back of the queue’.

The first phase of the review will focus on the delivery of the ‘national care service’, while the second phase will look at the longer-term transformation of adult social care.

While the report on phase one will be published next year, the report on phase two will not be available until 2028 and its recommendations will not be implemented until 2036.

‘The commission should produce tangible, pragmatic recommendations that can be implemented in a phased way over a decade,’ the Department of Health & Social care said.

‘It will aim to make adult social care more productive, preventative and to give people who draw on care, and their families and carers, more power in the system.’

Cllr David Fothergill, chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, urged the Government to ‘revisit’ the timescales to ‘reflect the urgency of the situation’.

He acknowledged that Baroness Casey’s commission had a ‘challenging task’ ahead but added that people and organisations have ‘already waited long enough for real change.’

Simon Bottery, senior fellow at the health and social care think tank The King’s Fund, said that ‘too many people are left waiting too long for care’.

‘The challenge may be whether the Government is willing to act more urgently – or indeed at all – to implement these reforms.’

‘While the Government may feel its priority is the upcoming 10-year plan for health, adult social care must not get put to the back of the queue yet again,’ he added.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, commented: ‘This will deeply disappoint many older people and their families, and it also creates a risk that however excellent the commission's work is – and there are high hopes for it under the leadership of Baroness Casey – 2036 is far too late, given our rapidly ageing population and fast changing world.’