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Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Beith MPLiberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick Upon TweedWorking for you and the Berwick upon Tweed Constituency all year roundin Northumberland and in Westminster |
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Extra social care funding means better help at home for people in Northumberland, says Cllr Jeff Reid
January 5, 2012 1:18 PM
The extra funding will help people stay in their homes rather than hospital this winter.
Nearly £1 million extra funding for social care in Northumberland will mean people can leave hospital earlier and receive better care at home.
This comes from an extra £150m announced by the Coalition Government this week to be spent on shortening hospital stays across the country during the busy winter period.
Thanks to the Liberal Democrats, the cash can be used to access various preventative services such as better home care support, crisis response teams and specialist equipment for people in Northumberland.
This is on top of the £648m already given to Primary Care Trusts this financial year to support social care services, and the cash is due to savings made in the Department of Health's budget.
Commenting, Leader of Northumberland County Council, Jeff Reid said:
"At this time of year it is of particular importance to do everything we can to ensure people are cared for at home in a safe and familiar environment, with their family and friends close by.
"The Coalition is already doing the right thing and providing an extra £7.2bn in social care funding over the next four years. This extra cash for Northumberland further shows how the Liberal Democrats recognise that we all prefer to be out of hospital, receiving care in our own home."
Commenting further, Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick upon Tweed Sir Alan Beith said:
"By reinvesting these savings in social care we can offer more help more support to older people leaving hospital.
"It is absolutely crucial that the NHS and local authorities work together to help people leave hospital when they are ready. The benefits are on all sides - patients get to go home with the support they and their families need, and hospital beds are freed up.
"This money will help cut the delays in getting the equipment and adaptations that people can need to enable them to live independently at home - saving them from an unnecessary stay in hospital or going into residential care."
The money will be allocated to Primary Care Trusts, for them to transfer to local authorities to spend on social care support. Primary Care Trusts and local authorities will decide how best to use the additional funding.
For more information, please see the Department of Health website: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/01/care-services-to-receive-170m-in-additional-funding/