We respond to announcement of national care service

The prime minister Andy Burnham has announced plans for a national care service. Under the proposals, social care would be free at the point of need. 

Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said:

“If properly funded, a national care service could significantly improve quality of life for people experiencing severe mental illness, and we warmly welcome the prime minister’s commitment to tackling the long-overlooked challenges facing social care. But to deliver the change that the country needs, there must be sufficient focus on social care for working-age adults, and mental health social care must not be an afterthought.

"People living with severe mental illness and their carers tell us that mental health social care is the foundation of a meaningful life. It provides the practical support to live more independently, manage daily tasks, engage in work and education, and maintain social connections, while reducing pressure on the health system as people leave hospital and avoid crisis. Yet demand for mental health social care is rising while providers are being asked to do more with less, leaving too many people having to repeatedly fight to obtain or keep support.

“Unpaid carers also play a vital role in supporting loved ones with mental illness but are left to shoulder the practical, emotional and financial impact of caring, and many describe feeling invisible.

“Mental health social care accounts for £1 in every £10 spent by local authorities on social care, yet it is too often overlooked in discussions about reform. While mental health social care faces many of the same workforce and funding challenges as the wider sector, we cannot fix the social care system with a one-size-fits-all approach. Mental health social care must be a key consideration in these reforms from the outset.”