Independent commission proposes changes to health and social care around need

The way that health and social care are currently organised and funded creates confusion, perverse incentives and much distress for individuals and families. An independent commission established by The King’s Fund has concluded that a new settlement is needed for health and social care to provide a simpler pathway through the current maze of entitlements.  The commission, chaired by Dame Kate Barker, proposes a new approach that redesigns care around individual needs regardless of diagnosis, with a graduated increase in support as needs rise, particularly towards the end of life. The final report of the commission recommends: moving to a