15 April 2005
People who need long-term NHS care are still subject to a postcode lottery, MPs said last week.
A report from the Commons health select committee concludes that funding arrangements are confusing and complex. The MPs called for a single set of eligibility criteria to be introduced – at the moment, each strategic health authority sets its own criteria.
Committee chair David Hinchliffe said the problems arose out of an artificial divide between health and social care. 'Our witnesses found it impossible to give a firm definition of what is "health care" and what is "social care",' he said.
'This has led to the absurd position where carers providing complex medical support for their loved ones are denied funding because they are not registered nurses, when if the same care was to be given by a registered nurse, it would be regarded as nursing care and fully funded.'
The April 10 report calls for the health and social care systems to be integrated. It acknowledges that this would not be an overnight solution but a 'crucial first step' towards establishing a fair and transparent system.
It also criticises arrangements for fostering dependency rather than independence.
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