§ Mr. BreedTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is provided on the Care Direct schemes in rural areas; and if he will make it available. [57456]
§ Jacqui SmithAs announced in February last year, Care Direct is being piloted in six local authorities in the south-west of England—Bournemouth, Bristol, Devon, Gloucestershire, Plymouth and Somerset. The second phase of pilots, starting in the autumn this year, will cover the remaining local authorities in the south-west.
The director of social services in Cornwall is leading the implementation of Care Direct for the county council. Implementation plans are now being developed to meet the needs of older people living in Cornwall. These will supplement and build on the existing services for older people in the county and I am certain that the new service will be especially responsive to the needs of the rural community that it will serve.
Local information about Care Direct in Cornwall will be made available nearer the time when the service becomes operational, but wider publicity about the service can be found now on the Care Direct website www.caredirect.gov.uk.