Commenting on the Public Accounts Committee report on NHS Continuing Healthcare, Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Independent Age, the older people's charity, said:
“NHS Continuing Healthcare can be a vital care package for many older people with a high level of care needs. It is utterly unacceptable that some people who are eligible for the package of care either don’t know about it, find it too complicated to access, or are waiting too long for a decision, in which time their health may have significantly worsened. The problem of older people being unable to access quality health and social care in the community is one reason why many A&E departments are currently overwhelmed. If Jeremy Hunt’s new job title as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is to be meaningful, this is exactly the sort of health and care issue that must be addressed to improve the lives of many older people.”