Carers UK's position on the Health and Social Care Bill

The Health and Social Care Bill will create the Care Quality Commission which will regulate and inspect adult health and social care services in England and Wales. The new Commission will replace the Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission and will start work in April 2009.

Carers UK has some concerns that the Bill does not recognise carers and the contribution they make to society. At the moment the Bill does not mention carers at all. We believe they should be explicitly recognised as key partners in the provision of health and social care services with the CQC given duties to involve them alongside patients, users and the public. Carers UK carried out a survey of 3000 carers in January 2007 and they told us that their top priority for change was to improve the recognition they are given by professionals.

The Government is currently reviewing the National Carers Strategy, to be published in Spring 2008, and has announced a new Standing Commission on Carers. The creation of the Care Quality Commission provides an opportunity to embed a recognition of the role of carers in the new body, so it can play its part in delivering the Strategy’s ten year vision for carers.

Carers UK has also recommended that the Care Quality Commission maintains the focus and expertise on social care that the Commission for Social Care Inspection has built up in recent years. It is important that the sector is championed at the highest level so that health does not dominate the resources and attention of the new Commission.

The CQC must also play a central role in supporting the reform of health and social care services to give users and carers more say in how services are run and to provide inclusive information for all users (regardless of who pays for their care). Services must also have a much greater focus in enabling carers to work and to have a life outside caring.

Download the Bill and see more information about its passage through Parliament here.

For more information about Carers UK's parliamentary work, please contact Kate Groucutt, Policy & Public Affairs Officer on kate.groucutt@carersuk.org.