Sector welcomes Hewitt’s appointment

Social care will be made a higher priority by Patricia Hewitt
the new secretary of state for health than it was under John Reid,
leading figures in the sector predicted this week,
writes Amy Taylor.

Over her career, Hewitt has previously been deputy director of
the Institute for Public Policy Research and her appointment is
expected to be a positive development for social care.

John Dixon co-chair of the disabilities committee of the
Association of Directors of Social Services and director of social
services at West Sussex said that he though Hewitt “would be
more switched on in terms of social care”.

Roy Webb, head of policy at the National Centre for Independent
Living, agreed that she would be more receptive than Reid.

“It wasn’t really one of his [Reid] main areas of
interest when he was in office he made it quite clear that his main
interest was health. Patricia Hewitt will be much more interested
in the whole agenda,” he said.