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National Care Service
Is this devolved to Wales?
Devolved
The necessary powers are not reserved to the UK Parliament in Schedule 7A of the Government of Wales Act 2006.
Shared Powers
Insert a specific explanation of the powers situation for this issue here.
Not Devolved
The powers over this are reserved to the UK Parliament in Schedule 7A of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (Specific Section/Number/Clause).
The National Health Service (NHS) has provided universal taxpayer-funded healthcare free at the point of delivery across the UK since 1948.
Social care, however, is delivered by a mix of private and local government-commissioned services. People receiving social care usually have to pay towards the cost.
In September 2026, the UK Prime Minister announced his intention to end the “triple lock” on state pension uplifts to fund a National Care Service1.
Social care is devolved to Wales, with the previous Welsh Government starting a 10-year rollout of a National Care and Support Service in 20222.
There has long been an ambition to deliver universal free social care for the elderly, and to better integrate the NHS with social care to deal with issues such as delayed hospital discharges. Pressure on social care is also likely to increase as the population ages, and Wales’ population is generally “older” than the UK average.
If the ambition of a National Care Services is to be realised, it will need more care workers (meaning better training, pay and working conditions) and more consistent standards.
While fees for personal care are capped in Wales, the amount of money someone has to pay for care can be significant. For full-time residential care, it may mean having to sell a family home to fund it. Different rules on what sort of care someone can expect to receive may depend on their health condition, and the amount they pay may depend on which local authority they live in3.
The policy is still in development, so nobody directly yet. Unpaid carers potentially stand to benefit the most if a National Care Service is introduced.
Charts (if needed)
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Costs & Economic Impact
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Who has raised this at the Senedd?
Delyth Jewell MS
Deputy Minister for Social Care
Elfed Williams MS
Backbencher
Kiera Marshall MS
Backbencher
Catherine Cullen MS
Shadow Minister for Children
James Evans MS
Chair: Environment & Rural Affairs
Nigel Williams MS
Backbencher
Jayne Bryant MS
Chair: Health & Social Care
Natasha Asghar MS
Backbencher
Delyth Jewell MS
Deputy Minister for Social Care
Elfed Williams MS
Backbencher
Kiera Marshall MS
Backbencher
Catherine Cullen MS
Shadow Minister for Children
James Evans MS
Chair: Environment & Rural Affairs
Nigel Williams MS
Backbencher
Jayne Bryant MS
Chair: Health & Social Care
Natasha Asghar MS
Backbencher
What are the party positions on this?
- Supports a National Care Service
- Opposed
- Neutral/No Opinion
Plaid Cymru backbenchers support the principle of a National Care Service, with a particular focus on improving working conditions for care workers.
- Supports
- Sceptical
- Neutral/No Opinion
Reform UK MSs have expressed scepticism over the National Care Service, believing there is too much focus on new backroom structures and initiatives and not enough on delivering care on the ground.
- Supports a National Care Service
- Opposed
- Neutral/No Opinion
Labour MSs believe the National Care Service is a continuation of work they started whilst in government.
- Supports
- Opposed to a National Care Service
- Neutral/No Opinion
The Conservatives believe that a National Care Service would be unable to address care on the ground, or related problems such as a lack of community hospital beds.
- Supports
- Opposed
- Neutral/No Opinion
Jane Dodds hasn’t said anything on this specifically.
Who is responsible?
Delyth Jewell MS
Deputy Minister for Social Care
What have ministers said?
What's being done about this?
The Programme for Government says the Welsh Government wants to “move towards” establishing a National Care Service by strengthening national standards and enabling the NHS and social care sectors to work more closely together.
The Welsh Government’s plans are unclear on delivering free at the point of use social care, particularly in light of the UK Prime Minister’s announcement. As things stand, the current cap on personal care fees will remain.
On October 20th 2026, the Deputy Minister announced the six key parts to delivering the next phase of the National Care Service, which include:
- National leadership and accountability.
- Funding and commissioning arrangements that are the same across Wales.
- Maintaining real living wage pay for care workers and establishing a National Social Care Academy.
- A “social care intelligence hub” to help identify risks earlier and give public bodies a better idea of who needs care and why.
- Stronger all-Wales safeguarding standards and a new strategy for unpaid carers.
- Closer integration between health and social care so people transfer “seamlessly” between one and the other.
In August 2026, the Deputy Minister said that she didn’t believe a National Care Service would be established during the current Senedd term4 (before April 2030). The UK Government’s timetable for creating such a service also lies within the next parliamentary term (any time between 2028 and 2034).
What have the Senedd's Committees said?
Nothing has been discussed yet.
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Relevant Votes
Nothing to see yet.
Further Reading
- UK Government (29th September 2026). “Prime Minister Andy Burnham sets out plans for a new National Care Service“
- Welsh Government (September 2022). “Towards a National Care & Support Service“
- Senedd Research Service (21st May 2026). “Adult social care reform: is Wales prepared to confront the escalating pressures on the care system?“
- BBC Wales (3rd august 2026). “Welsh national social care service will not arrive before next Senedd election, says minister“
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