CARERS have criticised the  NHS after it was revealed  millions of pounds intended to fund  respite breaks for voluntary  carers has been spent on other  areas of the service.

The Government announced  in 2008 it was doubling money  set aside to allow long-term  carers respite breaks — £50m  this year and £100m next year.

But Crossroads Care and  Princess Royal Trust for Carers  say only 23 per cent of this  year’s cash is being spent on  carers. The charities used the  Freedom of Information Act to  discover where the money  would go.

The Devon NHS Trust received £679,752 on April 1, 2009,  to provide breaks for carers and  the cared for. Out of this  only  £215,000 was used for carers services.  The allocation for 2010/11  will be £1,364,910.

Sonia Barton, chairwoman of  the Devon branch of Carers UK,  said: “The NHS trusts have had  a year when they haven’t allocated any money to carers’  breaks because it has already  been allocated to other areas.

“Carers in Devon have a good  voice. Carers really want NHS  Devon to be upfront and tell us  what they are going to be spending the money on.”

NHS trust representatives in  Devon say money was “moved to  best meet local needs”. The two  charities say the problem is that  the money was never  ring-fenced by the Government  and was simply added to existing health budgets.

Gordon Conochie, of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, accused NHS trusts of failing to  respond to local needs because  of a lack of “transparency and  accountability”.

He said: “They aren’t telling  local people what they’re using  the money for, they’re not actually consulting carers’ organisations or carers locally.”

David Stout, director of the  Primary Care Trust Network,  said trusts had planned to meet  carers’ needs but were also  faced with “many, many different priorities”.

 The Echo has been campaigning for the rights of carers  through our We Care campaign  which was launched in 2008.

Any solution for funding better care for older people must be  “fair, simple and sustainable”, a  national charity has said.

With a White Paper on the  funding of a national care service expected shortly, older  people’s charity Counsel and  Care said any new care system  must pass all three tests.

Stephen Burke, the charity’s  chief executive, said: “Older  people needing care now and  the future ageing population,  deserve better. The Government  estimates a £6bn funding gap. If  we are to deliver better care,   more will be needed.”

Counsel and Care said the big  question was how better care  was paid for. It rejects the so-  called “death tax”, a suggestion  that a levy of up to £20,000  should be taken from estates  when someone died to pay for  care.

Clare Cotter, NHS Devon’s  joint planning and strategic  commissioner for carers, said:  “As part of the Joint Carers  Strategy for Devon we are increasing the provision of flexible break grants and take-a-  break services for over 2,000  carers. To support this we have  set aside almost £200k in 2010/11  to spend on carers’ breaks  which will also include additional funding for breaks for  children.”