Scottish Government
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Funding for care

The additional £40 million per year identified by Lord Sutherland as vital for the delivery of free personal and nursing care across Scotland will be met by the Scottish Government, it was confirmed yesterday.

The additional funding was announced by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon in her response to Lord Sutherland's independent review of Free Personal and Nursing Care policy.

Ms Sturgeon advised the Scottish Parliament that all the recommendations made by Lord Sutherland have been accepted, and will form part of a wider package of measures being developed with local government.

These include:

* additional funding of £40 million per year to local authorities from 2009/10
* legislation to clarify charging for food preparation and
* a more open and transparent system that explains how access to free personal and nursing care is managed

Ms Sturgeon also confirmed that the Scottish Government has asked that the decision by the UK Government to withdraw the Attendance Allowance - a decision criticised by Lord Sutherland in his review - be on the agenda at the next meeting of the UK Joint Ministerial Committee.

This allowance was withdrawn from care home residents in Scotland by the UK Government following the implementation of Free Personal Care policy. The funds lost to Scotland are currently valued at 30 million pounds per year.

Ms Sturgeon said:

"Lord Sutherland's report confirmed that Free Personal and Nursing Care (FPNC) policy has both widespread support and is delivering real benefits to tens of thousands of older people. He also shared the concerns that both we, and local government, have raised about the clarity and funding of the policy.

"All 12 recommendations made by Lord Sutherland have been accepted by the Scottish Government - recommendations that now sit alongside the work we are taking forward with our local government partners.

"The Scottish Government will provide additional funding of £40 million per year to local authorities from next year to help stabilise this vital policy.

"Everyone involved in delivering FPNC agrees we must ensure that the additional funding delivers improved services for our most vulnerable older people, and addresses the aspects of the policy that have lacked clarity, such as charging for food preparation.

"On charging for food preparation, the current legislation is not clear. Since 2002, a number of councils have removed charges, but eight councils still charge. Legislation will be introduced to clarify this and stop councils charging for food preparation."

On the issue of Attendance Allowance, Ms Sturgeon said:

"The Sutherland Review concluded that the UK Government was wrong to stop payments of Attendance Allowance for residents in Scotland, while continuing to make it available for those living in the rest of the UK. Clearly it is wrong that the Scottish Budget should bear those costs.

"We will seek the reinstatement of this funding, and have asked for this issue to be included on the agenda of the next Joint Ministerial Committee meeting with Ministers from around the UK."

Scottish Ministers invited Lord Sutherland of Houndswood to undertake an independent funding review of Free Personal and Nursing Care.

He was asked to look at:

* The total resources available to implement the policy;
* The distribution of the total resources amongst local authorities;
* The impact of the withdrawal of Attendance Allowance to pensioners in receipt of FPNC on the financial balance between the Scottish and UK Governments; and
* The long-term sustainability of the policy.

Lord Sutherland's final report was published on April 28.

Schedule 1 of the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 includes 'assisting with the preparation of food' within the definition of personal care services that should not be charged for. However, uncertainty about the exact definition of food preparation has lead to variable charging practices between local authority areas. The Scottish Government, as part of the package of measures being developed with local government, aim to clarify this issue through secondary legislation.

Related Information

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health

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