Reforming social care 'can help govt to save money'

A leading Parkinson's disease charity has called for the government to make the country's necessary cost savings by improving social care.

In announcing the Budget yesterday, the chancellor, Alistair Darling, said that the public sector needed to make "efficiencies" in its costs and spending.

The Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) claims that investing money into improving social care will now will help to achieve those efficiencies in the long term.

Steve Ford, the PDS chief executive, said that Parkinson's is a "fluctuating" disease, while people with the condition rely heavily on social care services.

"NHS and social services can save around £56 million by offering the right support through Parkinson's nurses and therapists and avoiding unplanned hospital stays or increased social care support," said Mr Ford.

The PDS has released its 3 Pledge Manifesto identifying what aspects of care should be reformed and why each proposed change makes financial sense.

One in 500 people in the UK have Parkinson's, which equates to around 120,000 people, according to the PDS.

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