Stroud Labour MP Simon Opher has welcomed plans for a National Care Service, describing it as one of the most important commitments made by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Opher said a care system built around NHS principles could make a significant difference to families across his constituency. Under the proposal, Labour intends to establish a National Care Service in the next Parliament, with care provided free at the point of use.
Protecting homes, savings and carers
Opher said the reform could protect people’s homes and savings from care costs while giving greater recognition to unpaid and professional carers.
Around 25,000 people of pensionable age live in Stroud, he said, and reform would affect not only older residents but also the relatives and carers who support them. A stronger national care system could also ease pressure on the NHS.
But he warned that Labour now had to turn its political programme into changes that people could see and feel in their everyday lives.
