By Lucy Phillips
20 May 2010
Momentum for reforming the adult social care system is waning after the issue was not mentioned in last week’s coalition agreement, campaigners have said.
Emily Holzhausen, director of policy and public affairs for Carers UK, told Public Finance it was ‘disappointing’ that social care reform did not appear in the initial coalition document. She said both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had indicated before the election that it would be a priority.
Carers UK was one of 23 charities that called on the new government to urgently address the issue this week.
Holzhausen warned that it would be ‘absolutely vital’ that the final version of the coalition agreement gave precedence to the future funding of social care.
She also called for new Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to state publicly that it would be a priority.
Impetus for a new funding system escalated in the run-up to the election campaign, although the three main parties failed to reach a consensus.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the initial coalition agreement ‘was very quickly put together’ and social care reform would ‘certainly play a key role’ in the larger document.
As Public Finance went to press, it was widely expected that Paul Burstow, a LibDem and minister of state at the Department of Health, would take on the social care brief. Burstow is a former chair of the all-party group on ageing and older people.
Holzhausen said: ‘I would hope that with his expertise, social care would be a visible priority in the department.’
20 May 2010
Momentum for reforming the adult social care system is waning after the issue was not mentioned in last week’s coalition agreement, campaigners have said.
Emily Holzhausen, director of policy and public affairs for Carers UK, told Public Finance it was ‘disappointing’ that social care reform did not appear in the initial coalition document. She said both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had indicated before the election that it would be a priority.
Carers UK was one of 23 charities that called on the new government to urgently address the issue this week.
Holzhausen warned that it would be ‘absolutely vital’ that the final version of the coalition agreement gave precedence to the future funding of social care.
She also called for new Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to state publicly that it would be a priority.
Impetus for a new funding system escalated in the run-up to the election campaign, although the three main parties failed to reach a consensus.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the initial coalition agreement ‘was very quickly put together’ and social care reform would ‘certainly play a key role’ in the larger document.
As Public Finance went to press, it was widely expected that Paul Burstow, a LibDem and minister of state at the Department of Health, would take on the social care brief. Burstow is a former chair of the all-party group on ageing and older people.
Holzhausen said: ‘I would hope that with his expertise, social care would be a visible priority in the department.’
