'Better care, higher standards: a charter for long-term care'

Better care, higher standards: a charter for long-term care was published by the Department of Health in December 1999.

The document set out how local housing, health and social services departments should work together to deliver services focused on the needs of people over the age of 18 requiring care and support (due to long-term illness, disabilities or old age) and their carers.

It was expected that local authorities and health services would agree and publish a set of standards in local charters by June 2000.

These charters would help:

• users and their carers to be more informed about available services
• service providers to understand and respond to the needs of users and their carers
• people to find suitable housing and continue being independent as far as possible
• people to find the right health care services
• carers to care for service users.

The charter initiative was backed by older people's voluntary organisations. However, concerns over the long-term financial sustainability of long-term care remained.