Yes, we need better funding for social care – but first we should decide what kind of service we actually want

The country needs a radical redefinition of social care, says Brian Fisher. Solutions so far have been both inadequate and absent of the voices of those directly involved

Boris Johnson announces a 1.25 per cent increase in national insurance to pay for health and social care on Tuesday (AP)

The government is talking at last about increasing funding for social care, having talked about a solution for two years and having cut funding to councils by nearly half over a decade. On Tuesday, it announced that an estimated £12bn can be raised by increasing national insurance contributions by 1.25 per cent.

As a GP, I know how vital a flourishing social-care sector can be. We all want security and support when we need it. We welcome the debate on a plan for social care and how to pay for it.

However, before we talk about finances, we need to agree what we want to pay for – what kind of social care do we want?