All of Westminster and Southend came together this week to mourn the loss of the wonderful man that was Sir David Amess MP. David’s infectious laughter and unconditional kindness touched many of us – including those who lined the streets to bid him farewell. His funeral was deeply moving, and full of stories describing David’s incredible contribution to his constituents and our country. David will be deeply missed by many, and my prayers are with his family as they try to come to terms with their loss.
In Parliament, we’ve made important progress on passing the Health and Social Care Bill through the House of Commons. The Bill puts in place the legislation we need to reform the NHS and our care system. It will formally merge NHS England and NHS Improvement, and make changes to procurement and competition rules relating to health services. Importantly, it will put a far greater focus on integration and more effective working at every level, from community services to acute hospitals. As the Minister for Care and Mental Health I also have integration in my portfolio, so I will be working closely with the new Integrated Care Partnerships, which will be delivering this change.
The reforms to the care system will also mean that everyone is better off compared to the current system. More people will be supported with their social care costs, have greater certainty over what they need to pay and receive higher quality care. Currently, one in seven adults over 65 faces care costs over £100,000 over their lifetime – so for the first time every in our nation’s history we’re introducing an absolute cap of £86,000 that people will have to pay for their own care, plus a means-tested support system for those that need help paying for care.
This is the first time such reforms have been attempted, and of course, with it, there’s a huge amount of misleading information and outright scaremongering. So to cut through the noise, these reforms will make the care system fairer and cheaper for everyone.
