Department of Health News

We still have a long way to go if this country is going to be one of the best places in Europe to grow old.

There is no doubt capping costs - the principle recommended by Dilnot - is the best model - the key question is how to fund it sensibly given the current deficit.

We are looking at how to achieve this, along with taking action to ensure people do not have to sell their homes to pay for care.

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• winter fuel allowance

Under the Government's new plans, a flag will appear on a child's medical record if they are subject to a child protection plan or are being looked after by the local authority

According to the Department of Health, doctors and nurses will be able to use this information as part of their overall clinical assessment, along with information about where and when children have previously been receiving urgent treatment.

This will help them build up a better picture of what is happening in the child's life so they can alert social services if they think something might be wrong.

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This terrible case has revealed the criminal and inhuman acts some so-called care workers are capable of.

It has also shone a light on major flaws in the system which we will address. We will publish our final recommendations very soon.

All the organisations involved have looked hard at their role to learn lessons and improvements have already been made, but we must remain vigilant and continue to guard against abuse.

I want this case to reinforce to everyone, from frontline workers, to regulators, managers and board members, that they have a shared responsibility in preventing abuse of the vulnerable.

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The Department of Health has asked former barrister Kate Lampard to oversee it investigations into Savile.

The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Daybreak the "big question we need to answer [from their Savile inquiry] is whether, because of his celebrity status, Jimmy Savile was given special access to hospitals."

"But I think our first priority is to co-operate with the police and help them get to the bottom of what has happened. But also at the same time our hearts go out to all the people who have been affected by this.", he added.

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Mark Ufland, whose half-sister Claire killed herself in 1971 after revelations about sexual abuse at Top of the Pops, has spoken about how details of the allegations recorded in Claire's diary were dismissed by the coroner and how she was labelled a "delusional fifteen year old girl."

Despite the story being reported by newspapers at the time and a police investigation in which Mr Ufland says Sir Jimmy Savile was questioned no further action was taken.

Claire met Sir Jimmy and other DJs through her work as a dancer on Top of the Pops.

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• Jimmy Savile
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Stanley Dorfman, who was a director on the Top of the Tops has told ITV News that there was a police investigation in to the safety of young girls at the studios while he was there, but that they found nothing and left and that the investigation had nothing to do with Jimmy Savile.

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In a statement DJ Tony Blackburn said:

"All of us who worked at the BBC during the time of these heinous crimes owe it to the victims to speak to the police and the BBC Investigations Unit and help them in any way we can.

"Jimmy Savile was a master manipulator of the press and would do what he could to keep his image held high in the public conscience.

"It will be to the eternal regret of me and, I'm sure, so many of my BBC colleagues that he was allowed to get away with these monstrous acts."

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• Jimmy Savile
• BBC

In a statement Mr Blackburn said:

I am disgusted beyond words at the vile, despicable actions of Jimmy Savile.

As the father of a 15-year-old daughter myself, I can only imagine the pain that the young women, men and their families have lived with over the decades.

I have nothing but admiration for the bravery they have shown in living with this pain and with which they are now able to come forward and speak about what went on.

Whilst it is a tragedy that Jimmy Savile is not alive to face the justice that he deserves to face, I only hope that the victims are able to get some comfort from the fact that their stories are now being heard and believed

Mr Blackburn said he had never viewed Savile as a friend, saying:

He was not a nice man, despite how the public viewed him at the peak of his success.

There were always rumours circulating about him, the problem at the time was that rumour was always hard to translate in to fact.

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• Jimmy Savile
• BBC

A senior member of staff at the BBC has revealed he questioned Savile over rumours about his private life more than 20 years ago.

Derek Chinnery, who as Radio 1 controller from 1978 to 1985 was Savile's boss, admitted that he quizzed the presenter directly about the rumours of suspected abuse.

Mr Chinnery told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House:

I asked, 'what's all this, these rumours we hear about you Jimmy?'

"And he said, 'that's all nonsense'. There was no reason to disbelieve (Savile).

It's easy now to say how could you just believe him just like that.

He was the sort of man that attracted rumours, after all, because he was single, he was always on the move, he was always going around the country.

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• Jimmy Savile
• BBC

Several of Sir Jimmy Savile's alleged victims are considering taking legal action against the Department of Health (DoH) and the BBC, a lawyer has told ITV News.

Liz Dux, who is acting for the alleged victims said such action could be taken on the grounds of "vicarious liability".

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