Lib Dems promise improved elderly care
Government should fund a £2 billion package of personal care budgets for the elderly, the Liberal Democrats said today. New Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said increased funding for elderly care would end the “scandalous injustice” of older people using their savings to pay for necessary care. The Liberal Democrats would accordingly introduce a “care […]
Pensions U-turn ‘betrays’ women
Millions of women will now lose out on their full state pension after the government quietly reneged on a deal that would have allowed them to access full payment. It emerged last night that ministers have dropped plans to allow women who have taken time out of work to top-up their national insurance (NI) contributions […]
Govt ‘failing’ on elderly foot care
A lack of chiropody services is leaving thousands of older people housebound, a report has claimed. Age Concern’s Feet for Purpose warned older people are adversely affected by long waiting lists for foot care services in the NHS, with many being forced to pay for private care or rely on charitable help. The charity found […]
Cameron ‘baffles’ traditional Tories
David Cameron’s modernising reforms have “baffled” the Conservative party, one of his own backbenchers has claimed. Ann Winterton has warned her “young” leader not to ignore the party’s traditional bedrock as he moves into the centre ground. Speaking to Parliamentary Monitor magazine, the veteran MP said: “Some of David Cameron’s attempts to shift the Conservatives’ […]
Funding boost for elderly care
The government has announced new funds to improve elderly care homes. Around 7,000 care homes will benefit from a £67 million cash boost, announced today by the Department of Health (DoH). The money will be used to upgrade care homes as part of the government’s Dignity in Care campaign, designed to improve the quality of […]
‘Tag the elderly’, minister proposes
Science minister Malcolm Wicks has suggested tagging elderly people with dementia in order to track their movements. Mr Wicks argued the move could provide reassurance to the families of an “increasingly frail and elderly population”, while allowing elderly people to live independent lives. The tracking technology is normally associated with criminals, but Mr Wicks attempted […]
MPs lobbied on anti-ageism laws
MPs will today meet with older people for a mass lobby of parliament ahead of the age discrimination law review. Help the Aged is leading a lobby of over 250 older activists to meet with their representative in Parliament Square. The Just Equal Treatment Mass Lobby aims to hold the government to its manifesto pledge […]
Hewitt launches ‘gimmicky’ patient choice website
Disadvantaged groups will benefit most from new government initiatives designed to extend patient choice in the NHS, the health secretary Patricia Hewitt has claimed. Unveiling an internet-focused approach to patient choice, Ms Hewitt promised that disadvantaged groups would be able to access the service, announcing plans to train librarians to help people use the new […]
Commission to explore barriers to council diversity
The government is to explore why so many councillors are middle aged white men, with a new investigation exploring the barriers which prevent people from standing. The Councillors Commission wants to understand why more women, young people and people from ethnic minorities do not stand as candidates and is inviting people to submit their own […]
Child poverty puts govt inline to miss targets
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are on course to miss their targets on child poverty, as new figures show the number of children in relative poverty has increased. The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) annual Households below average income report shows a 100,000 rise in the number of children in relative poverty between 2004-05 […]
