House of Lords rejects care trust amendment

The government appears to have given the clearest indication yet
that care trusts will be developed from existing NHS bodies.

An amendment to allow care trusts to be established as a new
organisation into which both the health service and local authority
could delegate their services was rejected last week.

It was tabled for the Local Government Association during the
committee stage of the Health and Social Care Bill in the House of
Lords.

“We are very disappointed,” said a spokesperson for the LGA. “We
are getting ever clearer signals that these will be NHS
bodies.”

The bill is due to go to report stage in the Lords next
week.