Personal Care at Home Bill
Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham said:
“There are still huge challenges in the care and support system. The Green Paper sought people’s views on how we resolve those and create a sustainable system for the long term. In our view, those with the greatest needs cannot wait, and we cannot stand still in meeting the challenge of rising costs. Currently, an estimated 80,000 older people in the highest need receive free personal care, but 40,000 pay part of their costs, and 50,000 pay all their costs.
“Among younger adults, an estimated 90,000 receive free care, while 20 per cent pay all or part of their own costs, so we want to start now with reform, by helping people to live independently for longer in their own homes for free, which is something they tell us they really want.
“Our Bill will do just that. It will end the postcode lottery in care for those most vulnerable members of our society. Let us not forget that many have already paid significantly out of their own pockets to fund their own care. We are putting forward reforms that support people in their entirety – support for older and disabled people.
“The crux of what we are building is the power and control that people get in cash benefits-that is at the heart of the national care service.
“We want to go further. In the Personal Care at Home Bill, we want to build a system that does all it can not just to pick up the pieces when people need help, but that has prevention at its heart. We want to invest resources in re-ablement-services to get people back on their feet and to give them intensive support after illness, an operation or a fall, so that they can live independently at home.
“Surely the best way forward for care is to invest in prevention, to give people support to live independently at home and, at all times, to support them to live in their home. That is what they tell us that they want.”
The National Care Service and the NHS
“It is my judgment that, whatever happens, more money from the health budget will have to be spent closer to the line with social care. That is just the way things will have to go, and that is why I am talking about finding resources from within my Department to fund re-ablement services – intense support to get people back on their feet after a vulnerable or low moment in their lives. Because we do not provide such support at the moment, people end up at the door of the NHS or asking for support from local authorities. We want to expand the level of support.
“We should also be less precious about spending health resources on equipment and telecare to help people to live in their own homes. That is all part of my vision. We have to break down the approach of the past that has said, “The health service pays for this and councils pay for that”, and we argue about the bit in the middle.
“This is an ambitious vision and it will not happen overnight. It raises complex and difficult questions that this House needs to consider carefully before proceeding with any reform.
“The Prime Minister has committed to making social care our top domestic priority in the next Parliament. That shows that we have the ideas, the courage and the confidence to tackle the big issues that the country faces. I believe that the national care service could be a major social reform that will stand alongside some of the major reforms of the last century. It would be easy to say that it is too difficult.
“We will see this through. If we fail to act, we will make the choices more difficult. The unfairnesses will grow year on year and this post-war generation – it includes people who own their own properties and who will live longer, which is a good thing – will face ever more unfairness than their parents did. These are big challenges. The Government believe that we have the right ideas to address them.”
The National Care Service and Carers
Read the Green Paper here.
For a full transcript of the debate click here.