Blomfield backs call to '˜Make Care Fair'

Research by the organisation has revealed that at least 33,305 people in England received 15-minute care visits in 2015/16. Of these, 16,311 received them in areas where councils admit to still using ‘flying’ visits for personal care to support people with intimate needs - such as washing, dressing and eating.

Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, who is also an Ambassador for Sheffield Carers Centre, and Patron of Sheffield Young Carers, said: “I am pleased to join Leonard Cheshire in calling for an end to these undignified and unsafe ‘flying’ care visits. None of us would want our family and friends to receive personal care visits as short as 15 minutes, so we should not accept this happening across the country to anyone else.”

Short care visits continue despite statutory guidance accompanying the Care Act 2014, which came into force in April 2015, stating that: ‘Short home-care visits of 15 minutes or less are not appropriate for people who need support with intimate care needs’ [1].

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence advises that carers must spend a minimum of 30 minutes during visits to help keep people well.