UK Health trusts snatch millions meant to help family carers

Millions of pounds meant to give respite breaks to voluntary carers have been diverted to plug NHS deficits, charities have revealed.

Ministers announced with a fanfare that they would double the funds for long-term carers to have time off by bringing in social workers to cover for them. In an 'historic announcement', it was promised £150million would be spent in England over the two years to April 2011 to give carers the recognition and status they deserved. But Crossroads Care and the Princess Royal Trust for Carers revealed that just 23 per cent of the money for the first year was going to respite care.

Under Freedom of Information requests, they found the money was simply added to existing budgets instead of being reserved for carers.

 Full story at Daily Mail UK