Category Archives: mental health
The Government wants your views for the Draft Care and Support Bill
Draft Care and Support Bill forum
The Joint Committee on the draft Care and Support Bill, chaired by Paul Burstow MP, is conducting pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Bill and has set up this web forum to hear the views of carers.
The Committee would like to hear about your experiences as a carer and what impact you think the Government’s proposed legislation might have on your own situation, either positive or negative. Your comments will help inform the recommendations the Committee makes to the Government in their report.
The draft Bill covers a number of areas relating to care and support but the Committee would particularly like to hear the views of carers on three key areas. This forum will close on 22 February.
Responsibilities of local authorities
The draft Bill proposes a ‘broader care and support role’ for local authorities. What impact do you think the proposed changes will have on the role of local authorities? Will the proposed changes help carers?
Bed cuts blow for dementia families
Published on Sunday 27 January 2013 16:00
Mental health workers and carers have hit out at plans to cut the number of beds available for dementia patients in the Lancaster district.
Families of dementia sufferers also reacted angrily to suggestions that new technology could bridge the distance gap if patients are sent to a new unit in Blackpool saying: “You can’t hold hands with an iPad”.
Mental health service provider Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust is proposing two options as part of streamlining measures, which would see the closure of the Altham Meadows Assessment Unit in Morecambe.
Health and Clinical Commissioning Groups
Lee Stribling
Why do you need to know this?
You’ve probably realised by now that issues around types of care, funding, assessment and all things dementia related are not straightforward. At some point the person you care for will have contact with Health professionals such as their GP. I thought it would be useful to explain the current structure (November 2012) so you could see how things are linked. I’ll also talk about CCGs (the Clinical Commissioning Groups) as these are groups of doctors who decide how the budget is spent as well as signposting you to resources about how things will look from April 2013.
If there is a lack of provision for services for people with dementia in your area, you may wish to contact the CCG to highlight this gap so that they can make decisions as to whether this is a local need. CCGs are comprised of other people too, including those who use services and you may wish to be involved in this.
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