PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST MUST DELIVER ON ITS COMMITMENTS

Putting older people at the centre of decisions about their care is a progressive step, but those with higher needs must not be left out of the debate, Anchor Trust Chief Executive John Belcher said today.

Speaking after today’s publication of the Putting People First concordat, Dr Belcher backed its call for a more personalised approach to care that would better enable older people to live independent and fulfilling lives.

But he argued for a firm commitment from central Government and local authorities to empower older people so that they can make informed decisions about care and support that will affect their well-being.

Dr Belcher said:

“Anchor Trust has long supported an approach which would see older people deciding what care and support would suit them best.

“We very much welcome today’s announcement about personal budgets, which will enable older people to choose their own support services and free them from decisions made at local authority level.

“As we look forward to the next generation reaching retirement, we know that they will have much higher expectations for their care, and will not be content to accept decisions which are imposed upon them.

“Personal budgets will put this discerning group at the very centre of these choices.

“The protocol also puts the focus back on early intervention, independent living and preventative care, encouraging quality of life before high-dependence support becomes necessary.

“This can only be a positive outcome for older people.”

But Dr Belcher sounded a word of caution about what the proposals will mean for some groups of older people.

He said:

“It is clear that many of tomorrow’s older people will have higher care needs. For example, by 2025 there will be over a million people with dementia.

“For them, making informed decisions about need, spending and budgets will be difficult.

“The onus may then be passed to family, friends and carers, who will also need help and guidance to make the right decisions on their loved one’s behalf.

“Government needs to take the lead in making sure that personalised care and in particular personal budgets are both inclusive and effective.”

Putting People First is a protocol supported by five key Government departments, including the Department of Health and the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The concordat sets out how they will work together over the next three years to give older people and their families a better standard of service.

This three-year programme will be backed by £520 million of Department of Health funding, which will be passed down to local authorities to enable them to reshape and redesign their systems for commissioning and paying for services.

For more information, go to www.dh.gov.uk

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