Clause 5 - Co-operation between health bodies
Carers (Equal Opportunities) Bill
3:30 pm
Mr Hywel Francis (Aberavon, Labour)
The aim of clause 5 was to ensure that health bodies and social services have a duty to work together to promote the health and welfare of carers. We all know that carers' health is precious; it is vulnerable because of the stress that they bear. We know that caring affects health and that services do not always consider carers' health, and I want the Bill to tackle that.
We have discussed clause 2, and although my legal advice suggests that the original drafting is satisfactory, the Government do not agree for the reasons set out on Second Reading and today. I am grateful to the Minister for finding a way, through directions set out in section 28 of the Health Act 1999, to impress on health bodies the need to focus on and promote carers' health. Therefore, I am willing to omit clause 5 from the Bill.
I think that the directions will breathe new life into the way in which health services think about carers, and the need to promote their health and well-being. I am optimistic that new initiatives will flow from them once they have been issued and fully consulted on. That will improve carers' health and thereby their quality of life.
In discussing the issue with the Neath Port Talbot local health board, I found that it was enthusiastic about the possibility of directions. It has plans to co-operate—indeed, it is already doing so very successfully—with other bodies, particularly the local authority and the council for voluntary service.
I am sure that we can all sign up to what I have outlined and we will benefit many thousands of carers by doing so.