By Lucy Phillips
25 February 2010
Talks aimed at building a consensus on adult social care reform are back on the table after all three main parties signalled they would attend a meeting convened by the charity Age Concern & Help the Aged.
The campaign group pledged to host a debate within two weeks of the February 19 social care summit organised by the government, which was snubbed by the Conservatives.
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley was accused of ‘wrecking’ cross-party talks after he refused to attend the summit, aimed at reaching a pan-political agreement over the future of social care funding for elderly people in England.
Lansley had described the talks, also attended by the Liberal Democrats and major charities, as a ‘political ploy’.
He said Labour’s aim was to pursue its proposal to fund state-provided care from a compulsory fee on individuals’ estates after death. The Tories, who favour a voluntary insurance scheme, dubbed the fee a ‘death tax’.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham condemned the Tories for their negative campaigning against the tax, which he said was only one of the options being put forward.
A spokeswoman from Age Concern & Help the Aged told Public Finance that the charity had agreed to provide a ‘neutral platform’ for further talks, although as PF went to press a date had yet to be confirmed. ‘The Tories were very pleased to hear we were offering this invitation and the other parties have since expressed an interest,’ she said.
Jenny Owen, president of the Association of Directors of Social Services, welcomed the charity’s initiative.
‘It is extremely important that the solutions to some of the adult social care issues we are facing have cross-party support, and build on the excellent care conference that took place last week,’ she said.
On February 24, Adass launched a report calling for more help for carers of people when they are discharged from hospital.
Owen likened the current situation to a ‘sausage machine’, with carers often feeling their role goes unrecognised by health professionals and community care services.
The report, Carers as partners in hospital discharge, was launched by the Adass lead on carers, Graham Betts, who is also strategic director of adult, health and community services at Warwickshire County Council. He called for ‘a shift in culture and attitude towards carers’, who were often ignored by staff. ‘There is a plethora of advice, guidance and policy but for carers the experience was more likely to be negative than positive,’ he said.
Jennie Negus, deputy chief nurse of Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, recognised the need to communicate more with carers, but said this was often hindered by a ‘national push around reducing length of stay’, which meant ‘getting people out quicker and faster’.
Shaun Gallagher, director of social services policy at the Department of Health, urged carers ‘to keep pushing their voice’ in the run-up to the general election. ‘Whatever government wins should be giving this area high importance,’ he said, adding that the issue of effective hospital discharge was coming to the fore because of tighter budgets. ‘It can be done in a way that makes life harder for carers and causes them greater problems,’ he warned.
All those attending the launch event welcomed a recent move by the Care Quality Commission to consult on including the impact of discharge from hospital on carers in their performance assessments. ‘If it gives power to our elbow and gets it on the agenda, people will welcome it,’ added Negus.
25 February 2010
Talks aimed at building a consensus on adult social care reform are back on the table after all three main parties signalled they would attend a meeting convened by the charity Age Concern & Help the Aged.
The campaign group pledged to host a debate within two weeks of the February 19 social care summit organised by the government, which was snubbed by the Conservatives.
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley was accused of ‘wrecking’ cross-party talks after he refused to attend the summit, aimed at reaching a pan-political agreement over the future of social care funding for elderly people in England.
Lansley had described the talks, also attended by the Liberal Democrats and major charities, as a ‘political ploy’.
He said Labour’s aim was to pursue its proposal to fund state-provided care from a compulsory fee on individuals’ estates after death. The Tories, who favour a voluntary insurance scheme, dubbed the fee a ‘death tax’.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham condemned the Tories for their negative campaigning against the tax, which he said was only one of the options being put forward.
A spokeswoman from Age Concern & Help the Aged told Public Finance that the charity had agreed to provide a ‘neutral platform’ for further talks, although as PF went to press a date had yet to be confirmed. ‘The Tories were very pleased to hear we were offering this invitation and the other parties have since expressed an interest,’ she said.
Jenny Owen, president of the Association of Directors of Social Services, welcomed the charity’s initiative.
‘It is extremely important that the solutions to some of the adult social care issues we are facing have cross-party support, and build on the excellent care conference that took place last week,’ she said.
On February 24, Adass launched a report calling for more help for carers of people when they are discharged from hospital.
Owen likened the current situation to a ‘sausage machine’, with carers often feeling their role goes unrecognised by health professionals and community care services.
The report, Carers as partners in hospital discharge, was launched by the Adass lead on carers, Graham Betts, who is also strategic director of adult, health and community services at Warwickshire County Council. He called for ‘a shift in culture and attitude towards carers’, who were often ignored by staff. ‘There is a plethora of advice, guidance and policy but for carers the experience was more likely to be negative than positive,’ he said.
Jennie Negus, deputy chief nurse of Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, recognised the need to communicate more with carers, but said this was often hindered by a ‘national push around reducing length of stay’, which meant ‘getting people out quicker and faster’.
Shaun Gallagher, director of social services policy at the Department of Health, urged carers ‘to keep pushing their voice’ in the run-up to the general election. ‘Whatever government wins should be giving this area high importance,’ he said, adding that the issue of effective hospital discharge was coming to the fore because of tighter budgets. ‘It can be done in a way that makes life harder for carers and causes them greater problems,’ he warned.
All those attending the launch event welcomed a recent move by the Care Quality Commission to consult on including the impact of discharge from hospital on carers in their performance assessments. ‘If it gives power to our elbow and gets it on the agenda, people will welcome it,’ added Negus.
