Health insurer Bupa welcomes new funding for social care

Health insurance giant Bupa has commented on the coalition government’s Comprehensive Spending Review, which was delivered by Chancellor George Osborne earlier in the week. The company has said that the new funding for social care is a step in the right direction, as it will bring the NHS and local councils closer together.

However, Mark Ellerby, managing director of Bupa Care Services, did argue that the most vulnerable in society might not be able to benefit from changes made in the Spending Review, especially for cases such as advanced dementia, as they people suffering from the condition need around the clock care in care homes .

Ellerby also believed that the amount of people that are with dementia is rising rapidly, and that Bupa now look after nearly 7,000 with the condition. Seven years ago, the number stood at 4,000. Bupa has recently stated that every singly member of its staff that work in a specialist dementia care home would receive training in dementia care, in a bid to improve the quality of life of sufferers.

As part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the government has ring-fenced the budget of the NHS to protect it from the cuts, despite there being significant cuts in a number of other departments.