Carers: National Strategy
Debate between Baroness Jolly and Lord Evans of Rainow
Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
This Government are fully committed to the 10-year vision for adult social care set out in the People at the Heart of Care White Paper. The Government have made available up to £8.6 billion of additional funding over this financial year and next to support adult social care and discharge.
Baroness Jolly (LD)
My Lords, the support received by carers varies according to where they live. Does the department have access to how many unpaid carers there are and where they live? Does it hold information about the ages of carers and those whom they are caring for? If not, why not?
Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
My Lords, the noble Baroness makes an important point. She is right that we need to know where carers are. People at the Heart of Care, published in 2021, addresses the identification of unpaid carers by increasing the use of markers in NHS electronic health records and by simplifying current approaches to data collection and registration. In many communities up and down the country, that works very well, but clearly there is more to be done in other communities.
Primary Care: Inequality
Debate between Baroness Jolly and Lord Evans of Rainow
Baroness Jolly (LD)
Can the Minister clarify the difference in training for a community health worker and a community nurse? I declare an interest as I chair the NHS committee for community nursing.
Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
I cannot say what the exact difference is, but I can say that they are very similar and overlap. I will write to the noble Baroness on the differences.
Community Pharmacies
Debate between Baroness Jolly and Lord Evans of Rainow
Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
I thank my noble friend for that very good question. ICBs are encouraged to do exactly what he says. I refer to an answer I gave earlier: from summer 2023, NHS England will start piloting prescribing services in community pharmacies—exactly as he suggests.
Baroness Jolly (LD)
My Lords, the best use of community pharmacies will come at a price. Can the Minister give us an indication of how much that will cost? Has anyone calculated how much it will save GPs? If he does not have the figures to hand, could he put them in the Library?
Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
The noble Baroness is exactly right: I do not have those figures to hand, but I will write to her.