As part of last year’s Big Care Debate consultation, we listened to many thousands of people.
The National Care Service White Paper – Building the National Care Service – is based on what these people told us they wanted to see from a care and support system.
The culmination of a great deal of work by many people, it proposes a comprehensive National Care Service that is universal and free when you need it. It will offer high quality care and support for all adults in England – whoever you are, wherever you live, and whatever condition leads you to need care and support.
The White Paper presents a bold vision, and signals the biggest reform to the Welfare State since the National Health Service was founded in 1948.
The National Care Service will be an integrated service. It will bring together the many diverse providers of care and support in England with local authorities, the NHS, and relevant services such as housing to provide higher quality services.
- Underpinning the reform will be six pillars:
- Prevention and well-being services to keep you independent
- Nationally consistent eligibility criteria for social care enshrined in law
- A joined-up assessment
- Information and advice on care and support
- Personalised care and support services, giving people choice and control
- Fair funding, with collective responsibility for paying for care and support shared between the state and individual
The system will be implemented in three stages over next few years.
In stage one, which is already underway, we are building on the best of the current system and delivering the Personal Care at Home Bill. In stage two we will start to build the systems and processes necessary to establish the six pillars of the National Care Service. Stage three will see the introduction of a comprehensive system that is free when you need it, for all adults with an eligible care need.
And so, with the publication of the White Paper, a new journey begins – to the creation of the Natinal Care Service that will bring better services and peace of mind to thousands of people all over England.