On Tuesday 4th March I visited Time Court Nursing Home in Greenwich, along with Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham. We were joined by Sir John Oldham to launch the report of his independent Commission on Whole Person Care.

Sir John and his Commission have produced an excellent report on how to put people’s needs at the heart of our NHS and care services. It shows how ‘whole person care’ will make a real difference to people’s lives. It proposes one person to co-ordinate all of a person’s care and support, and one team that works together to help people stay healthy and live independently in their own homes. I’m particularly pleased that it also strongly emphasises the vital role that family carers play, and how they must be better supported in future.

At Time Court, I met a number of people who told me how the co-ordinated care they’ve had in Greenwich has helped them get back on their feet again, after a period in hospital. Across the Borough these services are reducing A&E visits, emergency admissions to hospital and the number of people going into nursing and residential care.

Sir John’s report has been submitted to the Labour Party and is available online for you to read and submit comments. You can find it here.