The National Health Service is responsible for looking after the health and wellbeing of the UK population. The vast majority of patients who receive NHS treatment are completely satisfied with their experience and end up with better health and improved quality of life because of it. However, not all patients can be so positive about the NHS.

It is recognised that grandparents have an important role to play in the upbringing of children. Statistics show that around one in three families rely on grandparents for child care. However the current law does not give particular rights to grandparents simply on the basis of being grandparents.

Sadly, when parents separate, often grandparents lose contact with their grandchildren because grandparents are unaware of the legal options or are deterred by legal hurdles they think they may face.

Before May’s election, the various political parties had a fair bit to say on what they would do for the elderly, particularly with regard to paying for care fees. Now we have a coalition Government, and according to their published reform programme, this is what we are likely to see debated in Parliament:-

The Coalition recently announced the death of HIPS, otherwise known as Home Information Packs.

HIPS were introduced by the labour government on 1 August 2007 for all homes for sale with four or more bedrooms in England and Wales and were a radical change and a token effort at expediting the property buying process, HIPS were subsequently rolled out for all properties placed on the market and on 6 April 2009 it was made compulsory for a HIP to be in place prior to a property being placed on the market for sale.