Carers not a priority in NHS framework

Carers will be hugely disappointed that the Government has yet again failed to make supporting carers a priority for the NHS.

The NHS Operating Framework for 2010-11, the Government’s document that tells the NHS what to concentrate on, retains supporting carers as a Tier 3 priority rather than moving it up to Tier 1 or 2. That carers are in Tier 3 was seen as a major cause of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) not using their £50m allocation from the Carers Strategy to support carers this year.

Responding to the Framework’s publications both Carole Cochrane, Chief Executive of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Anne Roberts, Chief Executive of Crossroads Care, pledged to respond by campaigning directly to the NHS.

Carole Cochrane advised: “We produced a major report that showed PCTs did not use the £50m allocated to them to support carers and that a huge majority wanted more guidance from Government to implement the Carers’ Strategy. Carers and many charities have been calling for this too so a lot of people will feel let down and frustrated by this Operating Framework.

"Implementing the Carers Strategy is vital for millions of carers in England so we will find other means to persuade the NHS that supporting carers is not only morally right, but will also help them provide better care, smoother hospital discharges and reduced re-admissions. We will continue to work with the Department of Health to identify poor-performing PCTs and to help the NHS learn from those that are doing well.”

Anne Roberts commented: “For ten months, we have been producing evidence that PCTs are not implementing the Carers’ Strategy and that a key factor in this was a lack of strong guidance from Government to the NHS. This year’s Framework proved to be ineffective in guiding PCTs, and we are afraid that next year’s will not do enough to ensure PCTs use the £100m allocated to them in 2010/11 to support carers. We will use Freedom of Information requests to establish whether there has been any progress on last year.”

There had been optimism that carers would be given more importance following a Commons debate on Monday when Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham MP advised that he had been considering strengthening the Framework in relation to the Carers Strategy.

Despite this not occurring, Minister for Care Services Phil Hope MP has written to Carole and Anne advising that he wants to work with the charities to reinforce the significance of supporting carers in terms of NHS delivering its priorities. The Minister has also advised that they will seek opportunities to promote this year’s guidance to PCTs and councils on commissioning services for carers. The Standing Commission on Carers, an independent oversight body for the government’s National Carers' Strategy, recommended in its first report that the Operating Framework for 2011/12 placed carers as a higher priority.

Published: 16 December 2009