Online petition for Frank’s Law gets off to a strong start

Hundreds of people add their names on first day

A new online petition backing the implementation of Frank’s Law has received strong early backing.

The Government will have to write a response if the petition passes 10,000 signatures, and parliament could hold a debate if it passes 100,000.

Dundee woman Karin Casey’s petition asking the Government to pass Frank’s Law will be delivered to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Health Secretary Shona Robison.

The online petition went up on Thursday and 700 signatures were gathered in the first day as word spread across social media, with the total now having passed the four-figure mark.

Frank, who was part of Dundee United’s great team of the 1970s and 1980s, was just 59 when he was told that he had dementia in 2009.

Because he was under 65, he was unable to qualify for free personal care.

The Kopel family struggled on for six years, paying vast amounts of money – around £300 a week – to ensure Frank got the care he needed at home.

He reached the qualifying age for free services 19 days before his death in April 2014.

Since Frank’s diagnosis, Mrs Kopel, 66, has campaigned tirelessly for Frank’s Law – a law which would extend free care to under-65s with dementia.

Mrs Kopel said: “It would be a dream come true if we could finally get Frank’s Law debated on the parliament floor.

“It’s been 40 months – why has never been discussed?”

Karin said: “Something has to be done and if a petition is one way of bringing this to the fore then it will be a positive result.”

The petition can be signed by visiting www.change.org and searching for Frank’s Law.

Something has to be done and if a petition is one way of bringing this to the fore then it will be a positive result. KARIN CASEY

Amanda Kopel with a picture of her late husband Frank.