Second Welsh Lib Dem health policy introduced in a week

4.57.00pm GMT Tue 18th Mar 2008

Pooling of budgets between health and social care will help end bed-blocking

Just days after the Health Minister announced that the government would be adopting Welsh Liberal Democrat plans to give young children free toothbrushes and toothpaste, now a second Minister has declared he wants to see another Welsh Lib Dem policy put in to action.

Commenting on this afternoon's announcement by Brian Gibbons that he has introduced new guidance to encourage the pooling of budgets between the NHS and social services in Wales, Jenny Randerson said: "At the rate they are adopting good Welsh Liberal Democrat ideas, we'll have half our manifesto delivered by the end of the year!

"Last week it was our dental health policies, this week it's our policy to help deliver joined up health and social care services. Pooled budgets make sense, because they force organisations to work together. We've been saying so for years.

"Its good to see that in the end, good ideas win out."

A Welsh Lib Dem amendment debated on November 7, 2006 called for:

"the development of joint or pooled budgets for healthcare and social services to improve co-ordination between Local Health Boards and Local Authorities."

At the time, Jenny Randerson said: "Despite a growing consensus that there needs to be greater collaboration between social services and NHS Trusts, the Government has failed to seriously consider shared budgets.

"Those who work in the NHS and Social Services repeatedly tell me of the need to take pooling of budgets more seriously. This would mean NHS and Social Services would be working together, sharing responsibility for patients, and tackling the problem together."

Notes:

Government Ministers wishing to deliver Welsh Liberal Democrat ideas should contact the relevant spokespeople. A full list is available on the website, www.welshlibdems.org.uk