Jeremy Hunt’s conference message to the social care sector

It was not Jeremy Hunt at his most assured when he delivered his speech to the Conservative Party conference today.  He did not seem to fire up the audience, but for all that, he had some messages that will please the social care sector and charities working with the elderly.

Mr Hunt  focused on the now notorious failures at Mid-Staffs, the bullying of a man with Parkinson’s at East Surrey, and the
kicking of disabled residents at Winterbourne, as well as the slapping of a woman with dementia at Ash Court care home.

He announced that he has asked officials at the Department of Health and the Care Quality Commission how managers can be held accountable for the care they provide both in the NHS and social care sectors.

And he said that he wanted to see a big change in the way people with dementia are looked after.  The aim, he said, was to make
research and treatment into dementia among the best in Europe by the next election. A tall order without a substantial increase in investment.

And talking about investment, no word on Dilnot except to say that they want to go ahead and implement the cap on what people will pay for their care “as soon as we are able”.