Kennedy pledges to prioritise social care on day of general election

Charles Kennedy has pledged to ensure social care policy would
be a priority for a Liberal Democrat government, writes
Clare Jerrom.

Charles Kennedy

Speaking to Community Care, the Lib Dem leader said the
party would treat health and social care as two sides of the same
coin.

“We believe prevention is as important as cure and that
early intervention, keeping people independent for longer and
giving them control over their lives is the best approach to the
health of the nation,” he said.

Kennedy added that the party would have a Wanless style review
of social care funding and merge health and social care
commissioning which was “evidence of our commitment to social
care as an integral part of healthcare”.

The leader of the Liberal democrats reiterated his commitment to
free personal care and said the policy had been fully costed and
was affordable.

To read the interview in full go to this week’s Sixty
Second Interviews with Kennedy and Liam Fox.