Stand up for Social Care - Burstow

12.00.00am GMT Tue 28th Feb 2006

Liberal Democrat Paul Burstow MP today tabled a Parliamentary motion backing Community Care magazine's "Stand Up for Social Care" campaign.

Paul Burstow, the MP for Sutton and Cheam, called on the Government to provide more resources for social care to make the recently published adult white paper's vision a reality.

Paul Burstow MP said:

"The gap between the vision and aspirations of social care and the reality on the ground is widening year by year.

"Because resources are so tight, social workers have to concentrate on the most in need at the expense of prevention."

The Early Day Motion (number 1711) states:

"That this House believes that the social care elements of the Health and Social Care White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, must be properly resourced as highlighted by the Community Care magazine's Stand Up For Social Care campaign; further notes the risk of cost-shunting between the NHS and social care where the costs of continuing care are pushed on to local authorities; and believes that these budget issues must be resolved first if service users are to be supported to make the most of their lives in the way that the White Paper suggests."