Care services minister Phil Hope reveals that the National Framework for continuing care, introduced in October 2007, has not achieved its goal of abolishing the ‘postcode lottery’ of care in England. There is still widespread variation in the proportion of people who receive funding for long-term care. Figures released by Mr Hope show that numbers receiving funding vary from 8.9 per 50,000 population in South East Essex PCT to 105.8 per 50,000 in Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT. The average figure for the country is 40 people per 50,000 population. The charity Age Concern has responded to Mr Hope’s figures by calling for closer monitoring of those PCTs with unusually low or high levels of funding. It also urges trusts to check that health professionals in their area have been trained in using the Framework.
This news comes as the Government undertakes a review of the Framework, which was designed to end the ‘postcode lottery’ of care funding by introducing a single national standard to be followed by all PCTs. Although this effect has yet to take place, the National Framework has achieved one of its aims, as there has been an overall increase in the numbers of people receiving fully-funded care in 2008-9.
posted by Cheselden Continuing Care at
16:21
