Right to Care

What's it all about?

Right to Care is campaigning for all nursing and personal care to be free at the point of use across the UK.

Over 20 national organisations, including UNISON as a major partner, want all of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Long-Term Care to be implemented. This includes its central recommendation that all nursing and personal care should be available on the basis of need, free at the point of use and funded from general taxation.

While great strides have been made in Scotland and some progress in Wales and Northern Ireland, older people in England who need personal or nursing care face means-testing and bills running into the thousands.

A UNISON-commissioned MORI poll found that 75% of adults think the government should provide free personal care for all elderly people who need it.

And the BBC's poll for its YourNHS day found that free long-term care of the elderly was the public's top priority.

The issues

The Royal Commission on Long-term Care presented its report in 1999. It made 24 recommendations and the government accepted and implemented many of these. But it rejected the key one on personal care and insists on means-testing.

Means-testing

This is degrading and impoverishes older people. Many people who are by no means wealthy but who have a small amount of savings and/or own their own home are forced to deplete their savings and sell their home to fund their care. Around 70,000 people had to sell their homes last year to pay for their care.

Nursing care and personal care

Outside of Scotland, all personal care (help with washing, feeding, dressing, bathing etc) continues to be means tested. Only those with capital/savings under £18,500 get their personal care needs provided free.

What is "free" nursing care?

The government says it has introduced free nursing care for older people in nursing homes. But nursing care is cash-limited and is being restricted to the care provided by a registered nurse. This means the care provided by nursing and healthcare assistants is classified as "personal care" and has to be paid for.

The situation across the UK

Scotland is paving the way in the provision of state-funded personal care. From July 2002 free nursing and personal care came step closer thanks to the introduction of a series of grants and allowances for people receiving care.

Following pressure from UNISON and the RTC campaign, Northern Ireland introduced free nursing care in October 2002 and funding for free personal care is under active consideration.

Meanwhile Wales is also looking again at funding for personal care.

These developments mean England is trailing far behind on the issue of funding for personal care.

Click here for more on the UK situation.

What can I do?

If you want to get more involved in the Right to Care campaign, you can:

Get involved in the campaign

Collect signatures on the Right to Care petition. You can download the petition as a PDF file by clicking here.

We are also collecting case studies highlighting the many problems arising from the current iniquitous system for provision of long term care. But we also like to hear about examples of good, nursing healthcare provision, so tell us the good news too. Contact details are at the top of this page.

Contact Your MP

Telling her/him that you are backing UNISON's Right to Care campaign and you believe that good quality personal and nursing care should be provided on the basis of need, free at the point of use in all settings.

A model letter is available - you can click here to download the letter as a PDF file.

Supporters

The following organisations have joined UNISON in supporting the Right to Care campaign:
Abbeyfield Society, Action On Elder Abuse, Age Concern (England and Scotland), Alzheimer's Society, Arthritis Care, Association of Charity Officers, Carers UK, Coalition on Charging, Counsel and Care, Greater London Forum for the Elederly, Leonard Cheshire, Mencap, National Federation of Post Office and BT Pensioners, National Pensioners' Convention, NHS Support Federation, Patients' Association, Radar, Relatives and Residents Association, Royal College of Nursing, Voluntary Organisations Involved in the Elderly Sector (VOICES).