More questions about the Personal Care Bill
The Personal Care Bill which Gordon Brown put forward at the end of last year is facing further criticism in the media today.
Most people would agree that, in an ideal world, those with critical needs such as the elderly and those suffering from cancer or serious illness should be entitled to free care in their own home. However there is a small matter of deciding how this is to be funded.
The Government estimates that the total cost will be in the region of £670 million.
The Department of Health will budget for £420 million and the rest is to be provided by the Local Authorities. Local Authorities are already under financial pressure to maintain the existing services they offer.
Social care leaders are warning that the proposals are flawed, that the figures quoted are unrealistic and that it will force them to cut services they are currently providing.
Some would question whether this Bill was put forward in the Queen’s Speech as a vote catcher for the pending election. Consultations have been happening for some time for a major reform of the long term care programme and this Bill seems to have been hastily pushed through Parliament without real consideration as to how it would be implemented.
Critics maintain that the Government has underestimated the number of people that would need care and the costs of that care.
The proposals put forward for the Personal Care at Home Bill may well have raised the expectations of those with critical needs, but will the actual outcome live up to these expectations? As always the devil will be in the detail.
