The social care White Paper is out
11 July 2012
Today the Government published its long-awaited White Paper on
what the future of social care will look like in England.
This new White Paper is incredibly frustrating for many people living with Parkinson's.
It's unacceptable to make people wait another 3 years for fundamental change.
Steve Ford, our chief executive
Social care is a broad term. It covers the types of
services provided by local authorities and others to help people
living with conditions - including Parkinson's - to get the support they need
in their daily lives.
Unlike the NHS, you can be charged for these services depending
on your means.
What does it mean for people with Parkinson's?
The reform package has some excellent proposals to help people
with Parkinson's and their families:
- There is a clear promise to end the postcode lottery
in social care where different councils have different rules on who
they will help.
- The new plans will also do more to help carers - something which we have been
campaigning for.
But there is no detailed plan or money available to
help fund a fairer means tested system, which would see a cap
placed on the catastrophic costs of care that people with
Parkinson's often have to bear.
Nor will there be enough money pumped into the system
now to stop the cycle of cuts and extra charges that people
are having to pay to keep the help they need.
It seems that both funding and legislation to make the reforms a
reality might not happen until the next parliament (2015).
Care can't wait
Look out for our more detailed analysis of what the White Paper could mean for people affected by Parkinson's - coming soon.
Steve Ford, our chief executive, comments:
"This new White Paper is incredibly frustrating for many people
living with Parkinson's.
"The Government found the time and money to make changes to the
NHS that no one asked for, yet people with Parkinson's are crying
out for social care reform and paying the price for each day of
delay.
"Our social care system is in crisis. Thousands are currently
going without the support they need, experiencing
cuts to what little care they have or being
penalised for having some savings or owning their own home.
"Yes, attempts to bring equality into the care system and more
support for carers should be applauded.
"But without firm plans in place to pay for these changes, then
they are little more than just papering over the cracks.
"It is simply unacceptable to make people affected by
Parkinson's wait another 3 years for fundamental change."
Watch this space
Tomorrow we'll be publishing a more detailed analysis of what
the White Paper could mean for people affected by Parkinson's.
And we'll let you know how you can help us campaign for
improvements.
In the meantime, read more
about the proposals on the Department of Health website.
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