Lamb Speaks Out Against Government Contemplation to Force Adults to Take Out Private Insurance to Cover Nursing Home Costs

12.00.00am GMT Sun 4th Jan 2009

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrats' health spokesman has criticized plans under consideration by the Government to have every adult pay a premium during their working life which could be redeemed if they move into a nursing home in old age.

Mr Lamb said: "It is quite clear that there is not enough money being spent on care for the elderly. But I don't think the private insurance model is going to achieve the transformation in care that we need. Our view is that it's got to be a shared responsibility between state and individual.

"People at the bottom wouldn't be able to afford private insurance so we will have a continuation of this sense of gross unfairness that if you have budgeted carefully throughout your working life and prepared for old age, you end up getting punished.

"The extraordinary thing is that we've seen these dramatic increases in funding for the NHS but nothing like that is going into care for elderly people."

As it currently stands adults with more than £22,500 in assets receive no help from the state when they move into a nursing home. At present it is local councils who decide whether someone is needy enough for state help.