Care: Budget
Debate between Baroness Howarth of Breckland and Baroness Jolly(9 years, 9 months ago)
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Baroness Jolly
I think the noble Lord will expect me to disagree with him on that issue. A lot of work has gone in with local authorities, with the CCGs and with NHS trusts to try to ensure that that work succeeds.
Baroness Howarth of Breckland (CB)
My Lords, the noble Baroness will know that local authorities and health services that have already combined their services are still struggling. Indeed, on the radio today they said that they are doing their best but they cannot give the kind of service they want. I give only that example, but the noble Baroness will know of many others. Yesterday I asked her—and I ask again—how she can hold local government services to account on quality when they are all saying that, without proper funding, quality will fail. Can the noble Baroness answer that question today?
Baroness Jolly
I am sorry that I failed to respond to the question yesterday. Quality, of course, is monitored by the CQC. Certainly, it looks at all local authority and other care providers and, indeed, the NHS. As I said earlier, the Government make decisions about how much funding to put into community local government, the whole pot then goes down to local authorities and it is local decision-makers who decide how much money goes into which budget.
NHS: Finances and Services
Debate between Baroness Howarth of Breckland and Baroness Jolly
Baroness Howarth of Breckland (CB)
My Lords, does the Minister accept that, until we have a system in which care and health are linked together, we will never manage to get a secure system? Does she not agree that we are in real difficulties when hospitals are blamed for not having good-quality staff, because those cost money, and yet are blamed for overspending when they do have the quality staff?
Baroness Jolly
This Government have introduced the better care fund, which aims to produce seamless care across health and social care. There are also 150 local plans, 120 of which are fully approved. We shall watch those pilots with interest.
Carers Strategy
Debate between Baroness Howarth of Breckland and Baroness Jolly
Baroness Jolly
The current strategy is not yet released and I have not read it, so I am not able to give any indication. I can say that financial hardship is acknowledged by the Government and will be threaded through the strategy. I can give the noble Baroness a sneak preview of one action. She will know that younger carers are more likely to be not in employment, education or training, and contained in the strategy is an action to carry out a task and finish study to look at how young adult carers between 18 and 25 get into employment and/or study, and what support might be needed.
Baroness Howarth of Breckland (CB)
My Lords, in a week when we celebrated the dementia-friendly Parliament, what are the Government doing about ensuring that existing programmes work? I have been approached by a number of people who have had good social work but appalling benefits, where their papers have been lost. If the present system worked for carers, it would help, with the addition of those issues raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Pitkeathley.
Baroness Jolly
Benefits are clearly critical to carers and, indeed, to the people they care for. The Government are really aware of that. I urge the noble Baroness to tell anyone who has approached her about individual problems to get in touch with their MPs, who have hotlines to all these agencies.