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The government has axed Labour's plan to provide free personal care to about 110,000 more people in England, despite the measure already being on the statute books.
Care services minister Paul Burstow said today that the government would not implement the Personal Care at Home Act 2010's central provision, to give people with high needs free personal care at home.
The plans, which the last government estimated would cost £540m a year, drew criticism for being under-costed after they were announced in late 2009. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services estimated that the total cost could be almost double the former government's estimates.
Andrew Cozens, the Local Government Association's strategic lead for adult social care, welcomed today's decision, adding: "It's a sensible conclusion for something that would have created resource problems for local government in the way it was constructed."
However, Carers UK, which had supported the plan, said it was disappointed it would not be implemented.
The decision follows the government's promise today to establish a commission on long-term care funding, which would report within a year.
Richard Humphries, senior fellow at The Kings Fund, said it was always difficult see how free personal care at home fitted with a long-term reform agenda, as the previous Labour government had claimed.
He added: "I always thought that money should be used as a down payment on reform of the care system. It would signal a real intention to put more money into it."
Both the Liberal Democrats and the Tories voiced opposition to the Personal Care at Home Act 2010 when it was passing through parliament.
Following an amendment forced by the House of Lords, the act cannot be brought into force without a further vote in both Houses of Parliament.
The act also included a measure to extend access to reablement services to support people to regain independence, at an estimated cost of £130m a year. Burstow said it would "consider what more can be done on reablement in the light of available resources".
He also promised to consider increased investment in carers' breaks, but stopped short of endorsing Lib Dems proposals to divert resources from the Personal Care at Home Act into providing a week's break a year for all full-time carers.
Carers UK's director of policy and public affairs, Emily Holzhausen, said: "It is not yet clear what the new government intends to do with this money, but it is critical that it is invested in providing additional support to carers that helps them to stay in work, take a break from caring and look after their own health - things with most people take for granted."
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http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/05/20/114548/Government-scr...
Professor Chris Ham, CEO of The King’s Fund, comments on the coalition agreement proposals on health.
‘Today’s coalition agreement is welcome evidence that the parties have been able to reach agreement on a wide range of issues, and the confirmation that the health budget will increase in real terms in each year of the new parliament is good news for the NHS.
‘Nevertheless, the NHS still faces a £21 billion productivity gap if it is to maintain quality and avoid cutting services. Ministers and NHS leaders will need to take very difficult decisions in the months and years ahead, and it will be critical that they maintain an honest dialogue with the public, both about the scope for cutting administrative costs and the implications for local services.
‘While the pledge to end top down reorganisations suggests a welcome period of structural stability, it is also clear that the next few years will bring significant changes across the NHS. In setting up the independent NHS board, careful thought will need to be given to the relationship between its responsibilities and those of ministers, who will remain accountable to parliament for NHS expenditure.
‘We welcome the acknowledgement of the critical role played by GPs within the NHS and the clear signal that changes are needed to improve the quality of general practice. More clarity is needed about the implications for commissioning – the agreement does not confirm whether GPs will be given ‘hard’ budgets for commissioning care, as proposed in the Conservative manifesto.
‘The commitment to elect local people to primary care trust boards may strengthen the link between PCTs and the communities they serve. The desire to increase democratic accountability will need to be reconciled with the powers of the Secretary of State and statutory bodies to appoint other board members, including the chief executive.
‘We hope the coalition government will prioritise public health, as indicated in both parties’ manifestos, and look forward to more detailed plans in this area. Whether or not it is able to tackle the economic and social determinants of poor health and reduce health inequalities will be a test of whether it can work effectively across departmental boundaries – something that eluded its predecessors.’
http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/press/press_releases/professor_chris_ha_1.html
Professor Chris Ham, CEO of The King’s Fund, comments on the coalition agreement proposals on social care.
‘The establishment of a commission on long-term care, with a clear instruction to report within a year, is a positive signal that social care reform will be among the coalition government’s priorities. We welcome the inclusion of the partnership model, which was recommended by a review set up by The King’s Fund in 2006, among the funding options it will consider.
‘It is now more than a decade since the Royal Commission established by the last government reported. The challenge for the new commission is to set out a comprehensive blueprint for reform that commands support across the political spectrum. The government must then map out a clear timetable for implementation, including legislation in the 2011 Queen’s Speech. Politicians from all the parties talked before the election about the need for consensus on the way forward – whether or not this can be achieved will be a key test of whether all the parties are serious about this.
‘The inclusion in the agreement of commitments to break down the barriers between health and social care and extend personal budgets signal welcome developments in policy.’
http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/press/press_releases/chris_ham_social.html
The Government is today publishing three documents to ensure greater accountability and transparency for Ministers.
- The Ministerial Code published by the Prime Minister sets out the standards of conduct expected of Ministers. In particular, it bars former Minsters from lobbying Government for two years; tightens controls on government cars and numbers of special advisers; and requires the regular publication of Ministerial meetings, hospitality, gifts and travel.
- The list of Cabinet Committees – shows the membership of each committee and shows a significant reduction in the total number of Committees. It includes a Coalition Committee to ensure the smooth working of the Coalition and resolve any disputes. Each Committee has a Chair from one Party and a Deputy Chair from the other Party who can remit an issue to the Coalition Committee.
- The Coalition Agreement for Stability and Reform– sets out the practical and operational arrangements for how the Parties will work together in coalition: how policy will be commissioned and agreed; how appointments will be made and the principles of collective responsibility.
The Ministerial Code covers all aspects of ministerial life from access to official papers and appointments to the use of Government resources and the handling of Ministers’ private interests:
Lobbying
- Former Ministers will be barred from lobbying Government for two years.
- Ministers’ decisions should not be influenced by the hope or expectation of future employment with a particular firm or organisation.
Transparency
- Gifts received and given by Ministers above a certain value will be published on a quarterly basis.
- Hospitality received by Ministers will be published on a quarterly basis.
- Ministers’ meetings with external organisations will also be published quarterly.
- All Ministers’ travel overseas will be published.
Efficiency
- The number of special advisers will be reduced.
- Tighter controls on the use of official cars – including the code stating that whenever practicable Ministers should use public transport.
- The Code provides for non-executive directors largely drawn from the commercial private sector to join the boards of Government Departments.
- Ministers who occupy an official residence, including the Prime Minister, will not be able to get the Accommodation Allowance that MPs can claim from IPSA.
The documents are published on the Cabinet Office website
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100521-minis...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8693832.stm