Think tank calls for free personal care

Personal care as well as nursing care should be available free
on the basis of need, according to a report by the Institute for
Public Policy Research.

The report argues that it is unfair to draw a distinction
between nursing and personal care needs as both are forms of health
care. But free personal care must be additional to other health
services, and not provided from budgets for other essential
services such as intermediate care.

It also finds that the distinction between nursing and personal
care has introduced new problems for the delivery of appropriate
care with nurses becoming the gatekeepers to free as opposed to
means-tested care. This may create “perverse incentives” for them
to perform tasks, which could more efficiently be carried out by a
less highly qualified care worker. In many cases it will not be
possible to draw a line between pure nursing care and pure personal
care says the report.

‘A New Contract for Retirement’ can be viewed by clicking
here