The
Department of Health has created a new senior post to help strengthen its
relationship with social care across local government.
The
national director of social care role will be similar in style to that of the
director of primary care and patient involvement.
Community
care minister, Stephen Ladyman, said nobody had yet been appointed but the
successful candidate would be responsible for bringing together the health and
social care system as a whole.
Public
sector union Unison welcomed the move, which it said would give ministers
access to good advice on social care issues.
By Ross Wigham