Tests determining whether people are fit to work are to be reformed to offer more support and to take greater account of mental health conditions. An independent review of the Work Capability Assessment, introduced in 2008, has proposed substantial changes to make it "fairer and more effective". Campaigners say it is flawed and many decisions are overturned on appeal.
Liberal Democrat Care Services Minister, Paul Burstow, has given a speech to Carers UK Conference in which he outlined the Coalition Government's Carers Strategy.
"Building a full partnership between health and social care will allow us to implement our vision for social care. We know all to well that it is a vision that matters hugely to the hundreds of thousands of families who rely on us. Much has been said and written about the impact of the Spending Review on social care. A lot of it has been misguided. There have been all sorts of claims and counter claims, which are alarming for older people and unsettling for those who care for them. So let me debunk a few myths for you.
The results of the election to form the next committee of LDDA has been announced.
Fertility problems in parents cannot explain why babies born through IVF treatment face a higher risk of cerebral palsy, say Danish scientists. The University of Aarhus found babies of couples who struggled to conceive naturally had similar risks compared to those who conceived quickly. But they found that the risk doubled in babies born with the help of IVF. Other potential causes, such as the treatment itself, should be investigated, the scientists say.
A man with an inherited form of blindness has been able to identify letters and a clock face using a pioneering implant, researchers say. Miikka Terho, 46, from Finland, was fitted with an experimental chip behind his retina in Germany. Success was also reported in other patients. The chip allows a patient to detect objects with their eyes, unlike a rival approach that uses an external camera.
