Free care set to be Plaid party policy

A care commission set up by Plaid Cymru has recommended that all social care in Wales should be free at the point of need.

The party is likely to turn the idea into party policy ahead of the next assembly elections in 2021, saying that providing services free of charge was ‘eminently affordable but it needs the political will to make it happen’.

The commission estimates that delivering the policy would cost £247 million a year, recommending that the funding should come from general taxation. The sum equates to less than 1.5 per cent of the Welsh Government's annual budget.

The commission, established by Plaid Cymru to look for a ‘radical solution’ to the ‘huge challenge’ presented by social care, also said steps should be taken to improve the terms and conditions of social care staff and it recommends creating a single National Health and Care Service.

Event Diary

DISCOVER | DEVELOP | DISRUPT

UKREiiF has quickly become a must-attend in the industry calendar for Government departments and local authorities.

The multi-award-winning UK Construction Week (UKCW), is the UK’s biggest trade event for the built environment that connects the whole supply chain to be the catalyst for growth and positive change in the industry.