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Kate Garraway faced Wes Streeting Good morning, Britain Because of the “excessive and unpayable debts” she had accumulated while caring for her late husband.
On the first anniversary of Derek Draper’s death, the Health Secretary was invited to the breakfast program to discuss Labour’s health plans for the coming term.
However, the appearance quickly turned to fire when Mrs Garraway challenged Streeting about the huge costs involved in caring for her husband – which were previously reported to be around £16,000 a month.
Draper, who was a psychotherapist and former Labor lobbyist, died weeks after suffering cardiac arrest following a years-long battle with the effects of Covid-19.
After spending nearly 100 days in a coma, Draper still needed constant care for the rest of his life, from specialists and Garraway – but he did not qualify for funding, prompting the broadcaster to use her own money to ensure her husband received healthcare. The help he needs.
Garraway previously revealed she had incurred debts of between £500,000 and £800,000, which she told Streeting were “excessive” and “unpayable”.
Speaking to the Labor politician about plans for a new national care service, which will be run independently, Garraway said: “Over the past few weeks, my family and I have spoken about the challenges we faced at this time last year. Dealing with the financing of care was an important issue when he returned to intensive care before his death.
She continued: “At the time of his death there were two applications for funding that had not been heard. He kept pushing her back and pushing her back. In the meantime, I’m lucky to have a great job that pays well. I had to finance the situation. Now I have excessive unpayable debt because of it.
“If you were in that situation, what would people be like?” Garraway asked, adding: “People can’t handle four more years of this!”
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Speaking from Carlisle, Streeting told Garraway in response: “Firstly, Kate, I know a lot of viewers will feel the same way, having watched [Draper’s story]. The anniversary you are experiencing – you and your family – we are all with you.
“I think that’s why your story connects with so many people. You’re not just a familiar face on screens, viewers feel they have a connection with you as a presenter.
“It’s also because your experience with Derek and your family’s experience resonates with so many people across the country who are struggling with the same costs, the same unmet needs, or similar experiences.”
He agreed there had to be a change about who should provide for social care costs, telling Garraway and her co-host Adil Rae: “I think one of the reasons we always get into this short-term cycle of failure is: when we talk about social care, there are costs involved.
“This kind of thing makes people run for the hills and want to bury their heads in the sand in politics, because those numbers can be scary sometimes.
“One of the reasons I honestly think – even with the size of the majority that we have – that it’s a good idea to try to build cross-party consensus, is that I want to come up with a plan that means who gets into government next.” “The next general election or the election after that, whether it’s a Labor government, a Conservative government, a Coalition government, or whoever, broadly speaking, we keep the same direction of travel on social care in the way we have with the NHS since 1948.”
Mr Streeting was speaking as he announced the first steps towards establishing a National Care Service, with an independent commission expected to start in the spring.
The timetable means that proposals for long-term funding and major reform of social care in England may not be delivered until 2028.
Streeting told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that for him, the National Care Service “is about national standards – consistent access to high-quality care for older and disabled people everywhere in the country”.
Asked whether people would no longer have to sell their homes to pay for care, he said: “I would certainly like to see people protected from the catastrophic costs of primary care that cause people to have to sell their homes and move out.”
The government faced criticism last summer after Chancellor Rachel Reeves scrapped proposals from Sir Andrew Dilnot, whose recommendations had been accepted by the previous government.
Dilnot’s plan would have capped the amount elderly or disabled people pay for care at £86,000, with councils covering the additional costs. The proposal would also have allowed people to keep more savings before exceeding the cap.
Mr Streeting said on Friday that Labor was willing to implement the Dilnot Commission’s social care proposals but “we found the money wasn’t there”.