Health secretary gives background to Green Paper

Health secretary Andy Burnham gave the background to the Government’s Green Paper on adult social care reform, published on 14 July 2009, in an interview with GMTV that morning. ‘We have an ageing society and it is a cruel lottery – some people end up paying lots of money in their later years to look after parents and some 50% of us end up paying more than £25,000 every year. A very small number, particularly those who develop, say, something like Alzheimer's, can pay up towards £200,000 over their lifetimes.’ Mr Burnham went on to describe how, using the Green Paper as a starting point, he intends to overhaul the current system of adult social care so that it is fairer for everyone whilst providing a higher standard of care. Referring to the estimated 45,000 people per year that have to sell their homes to pay for care, he commented: ‘If we can get to a system that is fair and universal, that doesn't put pressure on people to do that [i.e. sell their houses], then that is a huge step forward.’ Although he admitted that Labour ‘should have grasped the nettle’ of social care funding earlier, Mr Burnham announced that the Government has increased funding by £40 million, much of which will be paid out in the form of direct payments and personal care budgets that allow service users greater control over the type and location of their care. You can read the Green Paper and find out how to join in the consultation process at the Care & Support website. You can also read a summary of its contents on the Cheselden website as well as our official reaction to the Paper.