Think tank proposes personal care budgets

Think tank Social Market Foundation (SMF) has called for the introduction of personal care accounts, which would include contributions from the individual as well as the state. Under its plans, £7bn – the amount it says social care service users are charged – would be redistrib-uted across health and social care by making patients pay for more health services. Not only would this meet the projected shortfall in spending on health and social care services of £12bn, SMF says it would encourage individuals to take preventative measures to avoid using services.