The homecare sector’s leading representative body, the United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) has welcomed the House of Commons Health Committee’s report into social care.
The UKHCA believes it is an important wide-ranging contribution to the debate about how we care for older people and other vulnerable groups.
While broadly supportive of the Committee’s single commissioning proposal, the Association believes that to succeed it must capitalise on the best from social care, rather than be biased towards acute healthcare.
UKHCA also supports the Committee’s call for Government to implement the recommendations in the Dilnot Commission for a series of caps on how much people should pay for their care. In its evidence to the Committee, UKHCA said that the Dilnot Commission had come up with workable proposals which promise sustainable home care services for the future.
Commenting on the report UKHCA Chief Executive, Bridget Warr, said, “The Committee has rightly recognised that the integration of services can deliver real benefits to people who use multiple services across health and social care, while at the same time reducing costs: supporting more people to live at home and in their local communities, and out of hospital. However, for this to be made real it is crucial that care is made seamless across the services with a flow of money from the NHS into community based care.”
Helping Hands is a founding member of the UKHCA and supports the organisation’s call for a more integrated approach.