Pledge of one-to-one cancer care
February 7, 2010 – 8:00 am
Gordon Brown has promised reforms in the social care system to try to prevent the financial worry of old age.
In his regular Downing Street podcast, the prime minister said people in middle Britain would benefit from "guarantees" over end-of-life care.
Free personal care for the elderly in England is likely to be one of the key planks of Labour’s election strategy.
Further announcements on social care and cancer treatment policies are expected this week.
‘Firm assurances’
Mr Brown said: "It’s not fair that so many people already struggling with the loss of independence - who have worked hard all their lives and saved for their retirement - are faced with the prospect of running down their savings or selling their homes to fund their care.
"Or that those seeing their parents and grandparents suffering from conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia not only have to watch as their dignity fades, but have the heartbreak made worse by the costs of getting support.
"So I am proud that we are about to bring forward a new system of social care that will directly benefit many families of middle Britain."
"We’ll also ensure everyone has dignity and security in their old age"
Gordon Brown
Mr Brown said there needed to be "firm assurances" for providing care to those who need it.
"In health, our support means offering guarantees, not gambles - including treatment within 18 weeks and being seen by a cancer specialist within two.
"We’ll also ensure everyone has dignity and security in their old age."
The free personal care proposal was originally put forward by Mr Brown at Labour’s conference, and is currently being debated in a bill before Parliament.
The bill, which would affect England, will not be implemented before the election. Scotland already has free personal care.
‘Widespread criticism’
It has attracted criticism from peers, local government and campaigners because a wider review of social care is also taking place.
It affects only about half of the 500,000 people receiving care in their own home - most of these are elderly, although some are people with disabilities.
On top of that, more than 400,000 living in care homes would not benefit from the bill.
Last summer, a Green Paper was published putting forward a series of proposals affecting the whole range of social services.
These include radical plans to impose charges, perhaps as much as a £20,000 bill payable on retirement.</p
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