Extra Money to look after people at home

Extra Money To Look After People At Home

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Andrew Lansley says the extra cash will help councils and hospitals provide a better service





6:34am UK, Monday January 02, 2012





Local authorities are being given an extra £150m for people to be looked after at home rather than in hospital.



The Department of Health is also providing an additional £20m to help disabled people live independently at home.


The move follows a warning from charity Age UK that cuts to council
funding are creating an "absolute crisis" in social care for the
elderly.


The influential King's Fund thinktank has also cautioned that old
people are often taking up valuable hospital bed space unnecessarily.


In a report last week, it urged the NHS to cut the number who arrived
as emergency cases but stayed for more than a fortnight - even though
they were better.


Failure to tackle the issue could prevent the health service from
achieving its target of £20bn in efficiency savings by 2015, the King's
Fund claimed.

Extra money is good news... but the real issue remains the need for root and branch reform.

David Rogers, the Local Government Association









The £150m is in addition to the £648m the Government had already
earmarked for primary care trusts (PCTs) to support social care services
in 2011-12.


PCTs and local authorities will be able to decide how best to spend
the cash to relieve pressure on hospitals over the busy winter period.


Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Savings have been made in the
Department of Health's budget which we are investing to help people
leave hospital as quickly as they can, when they are ready, and to
receive support at home.


"Older people often need particular support after a spell in hospital
to settle back into their homes, recover their strength and regain
their independence.


"This money will enable the NHS and social care to work better together for the benefit of patients."


David Rogers, chairman of the Local Government Association's
Community Wellbeing Board, said: "Extra money is good news and This
investment will help more elderly and vulnerable people get the care
they deserve.


"It's a recognition that the current system is underfunded, but the real issue remains the need for root and branch reform.


"As a society we cannot continue just papering over the ever-expanding cracks.



"For those entitled to taxpayer-funded care and support, councils are
having to balance the long-term triple pressures of insufficient
funding, growing demand and escalating costs."