§ Miss McIntosh:To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on provision of social services to the elderly. [131482]
§ Dr. Ladyman:The Government are committed to improving access to health and social care services for older people. Examples include: enhanced cataract services; free national health service sight tests; free influenza immunisation; immediate access to information and advice through NHS Direct; the national service framework (NSF) for older people; and guidance on eligibility for adult social care—"Fair
Access to Care Services". The then Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) confirmed the Government's commitment to improving health and social care for older people in a statement to the House on 23 July 2002. He announced an overall figure of £1 billion for older people by 2006. Two thirds of the £1 billion will be ring-fenced for specific older people's services.
The Government are committed to local health and social care services planning and working more closely together in respect of older people's services. It is important for agencies to be clear in their respective responsibilities. Regulations that permit health and social care services to pool resources or otherwise jointly commission or provide services, will help localities deliver integrated care.
98WThe Government are committed to ensuring that standards of health and social services are as high as possible, and variations in levels and quality of service throughout the country are minimised. The NSF for older people and the introduction of national minimum standards for specific services are key policy developments in this regard.
The Government have introduced an independent and more consistent system for the inspection and regulation of residential care and nursing homes, and for the regulation of domiciliary care agencies. The National Care Standards Commission became fully operational on 1 April 2002.
The Government emphasise that health and social care services should be, shaped around an individual's needs and not the other way round. Guidance on the single assessment process, published in January 2002, will place older people at the heart of the assessment of their needs and subsequent service planning and delivery.
Unfair age discrimination in health and social care is not to be tolerated and will be addressed by the age-related policy audits introduced in the NSF for older people and "Fair Access to Care Services".
The Government want health and social care services to be more responsive to the needs of older people from minority ethnic backgrounds. In social care, the project, "Developing services for minority ethnic older people", is demonstrating how services can be improved.
The Government recognise that health and social care needs are often best understood and addressed in the context of other needs such as those for housing, lifelong learning and adequate income. For example, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department of Health published a strategic framework, "Quality and Choice for Older People's Housing", in 2001.
The Government are committed to preventing and tackling abuse of older people in any form. Multi-agency codes of practice are now required from health and social care services. Additionally the Department of Health will establish a Protection of Vulnerable Adults list, which will comprise of a list of people judged unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults in the care sector.