Jim Dunton
Jim Dunton is a reporter on Local Government Chronicle.
NewsCouncils should expect 'enormous' cost variations on Dilnot proposals
Councils should expect enormous variations in the costs of implementing the Dilnot Commission’s proposals for funding adult social care, MPs were told today.
NewsDilnot social care proposals are 'regressive', says Lansley
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has told a meeting of councillors that he believes the Dilnot Commission’s proposals on care funding reform are “regressive”, HSJ understands.
NewsCouncil chiefs rebel over public health funding sign-off
Council chief executives are understood to have staged a backlash over the Department of Health’s bid to get them to “sign off” local public-health spending figures.
NewsLansley announces 75 HealthWatch 'pathfinders'
Ministers reveal almost half of all upper-tier and unitary authorities will trial the new patient-involvement groups
NewsNHS lags behind in social enterprise drive
Reality of opening up health services social enterprises not living up to government rhetoric, King’s Fund argues
NewsDilnot commission confirms cap on care contributions
Andrew Dilnot has confirmed expectations that his commission on funding social care would propose a cap of £35,000 on individual contributions for their care today.
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NHS changes could spell new comms burdens
Government plans for a nationwide shared-service communications model for NHS primary care risks wiping out local expertise and increasing burdens on councils, the Department of Health has been warned.
NewsPublic health funding argument 'is over'
A senior Department of Health official has given a strong indication that councils have lost the argument over ringfenced public health budgets and that the government will not turn on the issue.
NewsGovernment public health response held until July
A government response to the public health white paper consultation will not be published until July, Department of Health officials have told MPs.
NewsDuty to co-operate on social care proposed for NHS and councils
Proposals for a duty to co-operate between the NHS and councils in relation to providing social care have been unveiled by the Law Commission.
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Adult social services face £300m cuts
Local authorities expect to cut around £300m from adult social services this year, despite receiving more than £1.5bn from the NHS and Department of Health.
NewsAdvocacy groups requiring HealthWatch role assistance
Around one-third of the patients advocacy groups expected to become Local HealthWatch scrutiny teams need to up their game before taking on their new roles as part of the government’s health reforms, according to a health minister.
NewsSouthern Cross insists lease issues can be fixed
The chief executive of troubled care-home provider Southern Cross has insisted the company’s future can be secured through negotiations with landlords over the coming weeks.
NewsBetter data sharing 'could boost social-care prevention'
Councils and the NHS should be sharing data more effectively to better predict which residents are most likely to need “intensive social care”, according to health think-tank the Nuffield Trust.
NewsLoss of 80,000 care beds will intensify bed-blocking
Council spending cuts are predicted to result in the loss of 81,000 care home beds across the UK over the next 10 years, intensifying NHS bed-blocking problems, BUPA has warned.
NewsMinisters warned PCT clustering 'will damage innovators'
Seven areas with high levels of health and social care integration have formally warned the government that its “inflexible” approach to NHS reform will force them to dismantle their current arrangements.
NewsHealth secretary to have extensive powers to 'prescribe' public health functions
The Health and Social Care Bill includes wide and varied powers for the secretary of state to dictate council’s public health activities.
NewsBurstow's 'disappointment' over personal budgets
Care services minister Paul Burstow has spoken of his disappointment at the number of people whose care packages are paid for with a personal budget.
NewsGovernment scraps adult social services performance assessment
Annual performance assessments that rate local councils on adult social care are to be scrapped once this year’s ratings are announced later this month.
