Thousands of carers face financial hardship by paying huge care bills

4th September 2014

Independent commission proposes radical reshaping of health and social care around need

Health and social care should be moved to a single, ring-fenced budget for the NHS and social care, with a single commissioner for local services according to a new report released by the King’s Fund today.

The report containing the final recommendations of the Barker commission is the first to make tangible recommendations for reform and calls on politicians of all parties to acknowledge the unsustainability of the current funding for health and social care.

Amongst other recommendations, the report suggests that costs of social care should be shared between the private individual and the state but with the taxpayer carrying a heavier load of that cost than at present.

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Society said:

‘This report highlights the enormous pressure on social care budgets. People with dementia and their carers are most likely to fall between the gaps of the “free” NHS and the means-tested social care system. As a result, thousands of carers face financial hardship paying huge care bills. Our rapidly ageing population means that costs for addressing dementia will only increase.

There is no “do nothing” option, and there needs to be a national conversation on what action needs to happen. Politicians will need to make tough choices about tax and spend to fill the huge financial hole in the already struggling social care system and find a long term solution to this growing crisis. The system needs to get it right for dementia, and then it will get it right for other conditions too.’

Jeremy Hughes

Chief Executive

Alzheimer’s Society

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