Monthly Archives: January 2012

Boris Johnson is worried about the effect of the reforms to DLA

January 6, 2012   Carers, Diabetes

Boris Johnson turns his fire on the Government’s reforms to Disability Living Allowance

 

By Politics Last updated: January 6th, 2012

 

Living with a disability is expensive – for the disabled and the taxpayer

One of the Coalition government’s less well-covered reforms is that of the disability living allowance (DLA). The DLA is not an out-of-work benefit and it is not means tested: it’s payable to everyone with a disability, to help with the many extra financial costs that disabled people have to live with. Unfortunately, it’s also very expensive: since the early 1990s, the number of people claiming the allowance has tripled, to nearly 2.2 million. The Government believes too many people are claiming the benefit, so it is introducing stricter new tests, designed to save £1.4 billion by 2015.

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Patient champions receive funding boost

January 6, 2012   Carers

The future local champions for patients and the public have been given a £3.5m funding boost, Andrew Lansley has announced

The local bodies will give patients, members of the public, and carers a say over how their health service is run.

 

From next year, an additional £3.2m will be made available to local authorities to establish Local Healthwatch, the new local health bodies set to replace Local Involvement Networks.

An additional £370,000 will be made available until the end of the 2011/12 financial year for 75 pathfinders and can be used in any part of their development. This could include spreading best practice, engaging more in the community, and financially supporting volunteers.

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Integrating health and social care?

January 5, 2012   Carers, disability, Heart

Integrating health and social care? We’ll see, Mr Cameron

 

Millions of carers battling the system every day would welcome integration, but many will be sceptical of a breakthrough

 

David Cameron has reportedly ordered the integration of health and social care. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

The integration of health and social care services, as reportedly ordered by David Cameron, is the holy grail of public policy. More than a nice-to-have, it’s an absolute imperative if we are to maintain the 1948 welfare state settlement through the seismic demographic changes we are starting to undergo.

No one understands this better than the six million unpaid carers who every day have to negotiate the maddening demarcation lines between NHS services and social care provision funded – but these days rarely provided – by local councils. To secure and sustain a package of care and support for their spouse, parent, child or neighbour or friend, carers know that invariably they will have to deal with multiple agencies. For most people, their GP is the nearest thing to a one-stop care shop. But rare as hen’s teeth is the surgery that offers an on-site gateway to social care services as well as health. The best that many patients or carers can hope to emerge with is a telephone number to call.

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