COMMUNITY CARE (DELAYED DISCHARGES ETC.) BILL

Early day motion 293, tabled 5 December 2002 by Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 19 members.

That this House believes that the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Bill proposed simplistic measures that fail to address adequately a complex problem; further believes that the Bill treats a symptom rather than tackling the cause, which is a failure of successive governments to invest in community-based services to prevent admissions and support people after discharge; regrets that the Bill will undermine partnerships between health and social care; deplores the Bill's failure to take note of the needs of the patient or the concerns of the carers; believes it will give rise to an increase in emergency readmissions of older people; notes with concern that the Bill will distort priorities for the care of the elderly and create perverse incentives by placing the need to hit delayed discharge targets ahead of offering timely and appropriate care to those in their own homes; and calls on the Government to abandon the Bill.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 15, Labour 2, Plaid Cymru 1, UUP 1.