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. 1999 Mar 6;318(7184):622.

UK commission recommends new ways to fund care of elderly people

John Warden 1
PMCID: PMC1115077

The Royal Commission on Long Term Care for the Elderly-set up when the Labour government came into power in the United Kingdom-has called for a fairer way of paying for the care that many elderly people require.

The royal commission's report, which is published this week, has proposed implementing a split between living costs and care costs. This split would allow personal care and nursing care to be provided free of charge but people would contribute to the costs of their room and board according to their means. The cost to the Exchequer has been estimated at up to £1200m ($1920m) each year.

The health secretary, Frank Dobson, will make no commitment to any of the report's recommendations until there has been a period of “informed debate” and a search for a new national consensus; his reaction disappointed groups representing elderly people.

For now, the present system of means testing will continue, engendering what the royal commission argued is “a degree of fear riddled with inefficiencies.” About 40000 people each year are obliged to sell their houses to pay for long term residence in care homes because anyone with assets over £16000 is not entitled to a state subsidy.

Two of the 12 commissioners dissented from the proposal to split living and care costs because they considered that it would add to the demand for care and transfer income to the better off at the expense of those who were most in need. Mr Dobson said that this potential problem would need to be borne in mind.

The chairman of the royal commission, Professor Sir Stewart Sutherland, said that the government should set up a national care commission to allay the mistrust and fear that plagues the present system and to support older people.

The royal commission's report, With Respect to Old Age, is available from the Stationery Office, price £18.

Figure.

Figure

Personal care and nursing care costs for elderly people should be split


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