Barker Report findings welcomed by Marie Curie

Marie Curie, the UK’s leading charity caring for people with a terminal illness, today welcomes the findings of the Barker Report, published by The King’s Fund.

The Future of Health and Social Care in England, by Professor Kate Barker, is a ground breaking contribution to the debate around the future of health and social care in England.

Imelda Redmond CBE, Director of Policy & Public Affairs for Marie Curie, said:

“This is an incredibly important and timely report that looks at health, social care and welfare in the round and how we, as a society, can continue to afford to provide care and support to the most vulnerable and those in need.

"Our current system grew to respond to the health and social care needs of the 20th century, but as society has changed, so have the demands of the health and social care system. Too often people face delays in getting the care and support they need because the system is not responsive enough. We see this very clearly with terminally ill people: over 50% of people die in hospital despite 63% of people wanting to die at home, and in a large number of cases this is simply because the system is not flexible enough to meet their needs.

"What we need is a rational debate about how to make the system work for people, rather than leaving people to struggle with the system. We welcome the Barker Commission report today because it is the first step in seeing beyond the old divides between health, social care, and welfare and ensuring that we can deliver affordable care and support  to people in need. With the General Election approaching, we hope that all political parties will look at this vital report and take on board its key recommendations."

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