The government has launched a review of the care system which will consider balancing the costs between individuals and the state, it has emerged.
The Commission on the Funding of Care and Support will consider voluntary insurance and partnership schemes among other funding options, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said. It will also look at how a person’s assets are protected against the cost of care and how public funding for the care and support system can be best used to meet needs.
It will then offer an estimated timescale for delivering its preferred option and discuss the impact on local government.
Andrew Dilnot will chair the Commission, which will also feature Lord Norman Warner and Dame Jo Williams as commissioners. It will report within a year.
The leaders of the review have been welcomed by the English Community Care Association (ECCA), a representative body for independent care providers.
ECCA Chief Executive Martin Green said: “We hope this Commission will act swiftly to deliver a long-term solution for the funding of long-term care. It is our hope that this Commission will not revisit the debates about options, but will come up with a conclusion that will deliver the necessary funding that is required for long-term sustainability and innovation in care .”
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