The government launched a first draft of its long-term care charter on Wednesday.

Elderly organisations back the charter, but say the issue cannot be divorced from that of how long-term care will be funded.

The charter will set out what users and carers can expect from housing, health and social services and clarifies what service providers are required to deliver.

The You and Your Services document is out for consultation until 20 August.

A final version will be published in April 2000 when all local NHS and councils will be expected to have produced their own local charters.

Empowerment

The consultation document covers six areas:

• Finding out about services that are available
• Understanding the needs of users and carers
• Finding the right place to live
• Healthcare
• Dignity and autonomy and retaining independence
• Helping carers to care

Health minister John Hutton said the document was "part of an ongoing programme to drive up standards, improve local services and iron out unacceptable variations in service provision across the country".

He added: "The charter will tell people what they are entitled to expect, and how they can expect to be treated when they need ongoing support."

The charter will be backed by new standards for monitoring whether local authorities and the NHS deliver on the areas it covers.

Local and health authorities will also have to publish annual information on their performance in meeting local charter standards.

Mr Hutton said: "I expect the charter to make a real difference - empowering users, making sure they can ask the right questions, and given them their say.

"This is a two-way street. By involving users we can also help service providers find better ways of working."

Housing minister Hilary Armstrong said the charter would offer "genuinely 'joined-up services' and provide people who wanted to live independently with "efficient and integrated services".

Funding

Sally Greengross of Age Concern welcomed the long-term care charter, but said: "The provision of quality care cannot be separated from the issue of how that care will be paid for."

Sally Greengross: 'Standards cannot be divorced from funding'

Janice Robinson, community care director of the King's Fund charity, said the national charter could improve services, but it would be the local charters and the way they were monitored which would be vital.

She added: "Charters alone will be insufficient for many people.

"The older people of today and tomorrow need assurance about what they can expect from long-term care, not just in terms of service standards but in terms fo funding.

"It is high time the government took action to engage the public and find a workable solution before too many more people find themselves in difficulty and distress."

The draft charter comes after the government ordered a royal commission to look into the issue of funding for long-term care.

It reported earlier this year and backed free provision of nursing and personal care.