How will the coalition government change elderly care?

2010-05-17 10:03:00

Now that the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats have come together to form a coalition government, the two parties must agree on how to shape the future of adult social care and how it is funded. It is encouraging to note that in his first speech as Prime Minister, David Cameron acknowledged the plight of the nation’s elderly people. Speaking from outside 10 Downing Street, Mr Cameron said that he aimed to ‘...help build a more responsible society here in Britain...I want to make sure that my government always looks after the elderly, the frail, the poorest in our country.’

However, although the Prime Minister has pledged to spend more on the NHS, neither the Tories nor the Liberal Democrats ruled out public spending cuts to the social care budget in the run-up to the election. And the new government has already faced criticism from the charity Carers UK for failing to make social care a political priority. Spokesperson Emily Holzhausen comments: ‘...we are deeply disappointed that the programme for Government published in the coalition agreement this week does not establish social care as a political priority. Clear plans must be brought forward as a matter of urgency, setting out a sustainable funding model for fair, universal, and transparent care services.’

You can watch clips from Mr Cameron’s speech at the BBC website, or read it in full at the Conservative party website.