A System Not Fit for Purpose – A Personal Experience

Many if not all or most systems are not fit for purpose as many Sub Postmasters can confirm with the Post Office/Fujitsu scandal and now a previous Post Office system Capture.

However, while the above are but 2 examples with the former including more than 900 Sub Postmasters, but, those are not my personal experience.

While mine didn’t include imprisonment the experience was horrendous and in total includes thousands if not millions, but in effect,t there aren’t specific numbers.

For this incorporates social care and while mine was adult social care there could well be equal numbers within children’s social care.

I wasn’t in need of adult social care but the adult disabled daughter of my wife was.

My involvement started in 1984 when I joined my wife to be family. A single parent with 2 daughters and a son. By my meeting my wife-to-be in 1984 the son was leaving the family home to start his own family. So my experience is just about my to-be-wife and her 2 daughters with from 1984 myself.

I have a short about 4 minutes video that has been produced within a university project which will include a number of unpaid family carers. My video has been completed and is available, while the other videos are being finalised.

The other videos with other family carers will be ready for viewing later this year when the project will be finalised and the research will be available in various research source areas.

I have been given authorisation to provide viewings of my video which can be viewed below. As it includes mentioning deaths there is a warning at the start of the video.

Please view as you wish.

As I state it starts with my life in 1984 when I met my wife-to-be at which time I wasn’t aware of her family until I decided to join her.

I was in my early mid-thirties and my proposed wife was slightly older than myself. I joined her family having no experience of any knowledge of disabilities or any dealings with public authorities.

Due to this I initially accompanied my prospective wife and just observed, not making comments within the various meetings.

I was gaining knowledge and didn’t wish to cause any problems with my lack of knowledge and could well comment and make difficult areas worse. It soon became obvious that nothing could make it worse for the system did that itself. After some months my prospective wife was not able to attend the next meeting so I attended alone to meet the various professional officials attending from health and social care. They were surprised I was alone and it was obvious that they believed I wouldn’t cause any difficulties as they previously hadn’t heard from me except my initial introductions. They believed my input would be minimal so at the start I spoke to each official in turn commenting on what I believed their roles were and to some extent what I had I observed from the previous meetings. They soon found out I wasn’t the patsy they believed I was.

I took on the system and in future meetings both my proposed wife and myself worked as a team, we had some differences in approach but we both wanted similar outcomes. My disabled daughter was just about to commence what is termed transitionns from children’s social care to adult social care. It was clear this in itself was a difficult process due the 2 systems and found out later by communicating with other family carers that difficulty was far from it for it was more than difficult at times seeming impossible to create any reasonable outcomes.

I was finding out that with our disabled daughter’s conditions, she wasn’t just classed as being disabled her classification was complex needs due to her multiple physical, severe learning and a sensory disabilities. Much later in our daughter’s life when I learned about autism I knew she was also autistic but initially didn’t proceed with a formal diagnosis as I felt I didn’t wish her to have another label.

It was clear from the start that if you didn’t challenge then more than likely you didn’t get most of what was required. I originally believed that systems were there to help, but it soon became clear that the systems were there to hinder and you couldn’t fully believe what you were advised and never fully advised. For if you weren’t aware what could be available you were hardly ever advised what was. A Catch 22, being you had to ask for what you weren’t aware was there to be asked for.

It appeared that there were physical disability services and also learning disability services and physical were reluctant to take our daughter due to her learning disabilities and learning disabilities due to her physical disabilities. This was for day services provision as at school which was a special needs school not mainstream was a 5 days provision but not so for any adult day service provision which could be from 1 day or any to 5.

A supposed 1-year assessment process progressed to 2 years due to the problems that occurred due to the inability of both learning and physical disability day provisions to accommodate our daughter. It was eventually solved by my daughter going to a day service for the elderly reluctantly by the assessment process, although the elderly day service facility had no problem to accommodate our daughter and neither did she or ourselves. the problem was the assessment process due the age gap between my daughter and the elderly attending the day service, which was no problem for my daughter had no awareness regarding age and if the day service and people attending had no objections then there was no problem and there never was. In fact, it was the best day service provision she ever attended, which can’t be said for any others she attended.

When the elderly day service closed, supposedly on a temporary basis for a roof repair, but never reopened she was transferred to other day services. Even tough being told the elederly day service would reopen I assumed would never be be the case, even though reassurances were given it would reopen.

But now having gained some knowledge of the system and how it should work but never does, it came as no surprise to me.

Up until my daughter’s death I was ever present to ensure that my daughter obtained what she needed for her to live a reasonable life, but it was never easy on either myself or my wife for it was forever a fight and in most instances a fight of wills. I never gave in to the authorities and challenged them on ever occasion when needed. Any of the services granted could have at any time be partly or fully withdrawn due to my actions, but never did, unlike I know it did with other families. Perhaps I knew the system better than others and in some instances much better than those who were supposedly administering the system.

Even though no longer an active carer I am still involved in many areas and my local authority do come to me to engage my involvement to change or create new services for they know I am prepared to speak out and those in some degree of authority don’t scare me, never did when my daughter was around and certainly not now. My sole objective is to endeavour to make services better for those in need of services, which is what the systems should be, which is person-centred but the services and the authorities are institution-centred which is completely wrong. The lack of sufficient finance would be one major reason, but in many instances it may not be fully as it is administering the system in how it should be even if fully financed.

As said finance is a major factor, but not always, but lack of suitable and relevant communication will be with all parties and in many instances within the same department. This is even so when I found out from the person I was speaking to that they were sitting next to the person who would be administering the next part, but communication was virtually non-existent, that was ridiculous but it could be present more often than not.

The other major reason is people administering the system or their part of the system in having no knowledge of how their part comes to them and its importance, and where it goes to next and its importance and the importance of their part. Everyone should have some knowledge of the full system and the importance of every part. But the working is in what I call ‘silos‘.

That is part of the LA system which is generally as it is in all LAs but there may be some differences, but hardly any that could benefit the person at the centr, the person in need of care of the service. This person is the whole reason the system is there but they are often treated as a non-entity and many times as the problem which they are never are and should never be treated as so for the problem will always be the system, lack of finance and knowledge.

In my dealings with my LA and certain Officers who were stating information that I know is wrong or not fully correct, but in their belief, they are always correct so will not be willing to accept challenges. In those instances, I have at times left it as it is rather than leave with aggression, but in many instances just referred up to the next line of management, in which there are many in LAs, and don’t accept until I get the agreement I wanted.

In at least one instance where I had raised a formal complaint that had been in process for some months and when I then met the senior manager, who had been instructed to investigate the complaint and explain the problems it was sorted in seconds with a comment, if it had been referred directly to them at the outset then much time would have been saved and the resulting costs involved.

When I have complained it was hardly ever about individuals but the system, which most people agree is far from fit for purpose.

My employment background was in many respects in finance and some areas of management and dealing with systems, so in some respects I could have had some advantage in my dealings. I also am aware there are many ways to put forward the same requests, how to word and communicate and be prepared to challenge. I could have come unstuck many times for my daughter, but didn’t, perhaps I was lucky and in this my daughter’s life was better. More was really required, but you do need to know when to accept or not and that could well be different on every occasion.

Authorities have to listen more and understand better and this is even more so with regards to the government, but then the government appears too not to want to listen and much more so not understand.

But then that is government any government.

Social workers re-balloted on striking after 27 days of action leaves pay dispute unresolved | Community Care

Pay scales in virtually all areas of employment in the UK are way below what they should be, especially in areas of public services and in private employment areas where financing is from public areas.

In many areas, this public financing comes from Local Authorities, (LAs) who in turn are partly financed by the government and since 2010 these LAs have been seriously underfunded by the government and still are.

Many LAs are declaring bankruptcy, currently around 5 LAs and many others are very close to doing so.

So, my thoughts are with the social workers of London borough’s mental health teams, but they are one of many in all areas of LAs employment.

Some LAs may be and may have been less than prudent concerning finance, but the real culprits are the government and not just this government, but many previous governments both Labour and Tory.

The UK is in a mess it is because of many years of underinvestment and not just in public sectors but also in some private sectors too. Money by the government, LAs and others has been spent where it shouldn’t have been and not where it should have for many years, well before 2010, but 2010 till now has made serious problems much more serious.

But are lessons being learned, no and they never are, because to learn there has to be a willingness to learn and in the government, this is embarrassing absent.

According to reports now, this government is considering reducing LA funding even more, perhaps, to fund some cuts in taxation which itself is extremely high.

Many in employment feel they have no option but to strike, but in doing so they are penalising people who have no power to give those underpaid more and will, in effect seriously affect people in the UK who have less than nothing, the poor, disabled and vulnerable.

What is the answer, well getting a government that cares, but after all these years that appears to be an impossibility and I feel the next government will be just as bad, no matter what they say.

But, really it is not just the UK as some world events do have some play in these circumstances, but that doesn’t solve the problems of lower pay and chronic underinvestment in the UK.

Anywhere you look there is chronic underinvestment in rail, road, water, energy, environment and many others.

Some in the UK are well-paid, CEOs of large organisations, high-end legal professionals, and for what they do or more importantly what they don’t do Government Ministers and MPs.

Wealth in the UK needs to be distributed better, but if it is then those who are wealthy could just leave the UK for they have the wealth and power to do so and the poor, disabled and vulnerable will never be able to do so. So, those whose needs are not being catered for will always be cast aside and unfortunately striking just adds to this.

So, there has to be a better way to obtain what is required so that all benefit more equally and effectively and that can only be done by everyone being less selfish and everyone in the UK be there for everyone.

It is what a democracy should be, but in the process of time and events occurring democracy has been cast aside to a large degree, but we still say we are a democratic country, which in many ways we aren’t.

We distrust all around us and this is one of the problems, but those in power have acted against us for years and so distrust has forever been increasing. Has there ever been trust, well who knows, perhaps there could have been in the being of time, but that was many centuries ago.

Of all the areas of ruling perhaps the concept of communism comes closest, however, when the human element becomes involved even in communism there are the elites the ones who have been allowed to gain power and with the power they then use that power to gain wealth. Just look at the dictators in the communist countries for they are all extremely wealthy and so powerful until they are deposed. Then those who are deposed then take the power and gain the wealth, a neverending event.

None of this gets better wages for those on low pay rates, so should there be compulsory arbitration and the outcomes have to be accepted by all concerned parties?

I may not really understand, but why in many organisations are pay negotiations done separately for different categories of employees, surely one pay scale should be there for everyone. When I say everyone, I mean everyone from the people at the top to those at the bottom. Why should a CEO be treated differently than those on lower rates of pay? Surely that would be true equality.

Say in the NHS one pay rate negotiation for every employee and not different for Consultants, Junior doctors, Nurses, clerical, cleaners, technicians and others. Similar for LAs and others.

In doing so, the government needs to create a starting pay rate for everyone so that the least paid can live reasonably which no one can on the National Living Wage and maybe not even the Real Living Wage. Have welfare benefits that are realistic and not demeaning which they are currently and taxation which is creating more equality.

If a Living Wage is what it is believed that people need to live on, then why is it reduced by applying income Tax to it, surely the tax-free allowance should always be the Living Wage, otherwise, it is not living for those on this minimum level of pay.

Source: Social workers re-balloted on striking after 27 days of action leaves pay dispute unresolved | Community Care

Your Life, Your Country, Your World

No matter who we are we will be affected by all of the above in many ways, irrespective of being able to influence or not.

Many of us will have enough just to deal with our own life, let alone the others, but these others will affect how our lives progress. You can ‘bury your head in the sand’, but that won’t mean you will not be affected by all areas, you may not wish to know and then whatever comes will be a surprise may be good, but more than likely very bad, so you will have not been able to prepare if even there are ways to prepare.

We all need health as good as it can be, finance as much as we can obtain and many others and in some respects how we look on life and what we do may have some bearing on this or not to varying degrees.

Much is behind our abilities and power to influence especially many aspects of our country and certainly the world, but locally we may have more ability than we know. Many local Authorities are reaching out for information, but whether they use what they obtain is difficult to know and if they use it will they use it to make situations better or worse or a mixture.

There are many local consultations, but I don’t trust consultations for while I do engage in them there is rarely, if at all any feedback. It is my view that legally they have to have consultations, but in reality, the decisions have already been made. To some extent, I know this due to my involvement in many ways over the years in many different ways.

Over the years I have been in many, of what are called ‘Task and Finishing’ groups, but over those years have never seen one finish, and certainly never had any feedback. I have seen the same areas come around again, with the same questions, same presentations and many even the same presenter and on every occasion no reference to previous information obtained, just going ahead as though it is the first time of being raised with that approach.

Many have been put to one side and now they are called working groups and these appear better, as each time there is a meeting there is feedback on past meetings and if any areas of practice have changed or will be changed. That is not to say in the future they could go back to what they were or worse for that is down to future management and more likely finance.

This all relates to social care in my own LA area but could relate to any area of local government, (LA) and not just LAs but to all organisations whether they be public, private or international. For they all work with systems and the systems are always geared to the respective organisation and not others who become involved with them.

In social care when you engage you may be allocated a social worker and refer to them as your social worker and they should be there to help you for that is what their training was supposed to say, but they are employed by the organisation they come from, so they will need to abide by the rules and systems of that organisation. They may want to agree with you but know the systems will most likely not allow them to do so. They will have been trained to obtain the most information they can obtain from you, but once they leave you, you will have no knowledge of how much of the information is used and in what ways. Then on its way up the decision-making ladder, the information could be minimised and perhaps distorted, perhaps not intentionally, but could be and when a decision comes back down will that be fully understood by the person reporting it back to you.

Social workers are only human and will have their own opinions but shouldn’t be judgemental of your situation, but in reality, they could be. They are also very overworked and in very short supply and their stress levels will be extreme, but then so are your own.

In my 40 years of being a family carer, I have never trusted the information being shared with my family and if I didn’t agree then I always queried. You will more than likely get very frustrated and angry, but please remember that the person in front of you from the organisation will not likely be the decision-maker as that could be many levels above them. So blaming them should not be your reaction when you feel you so wish to do.

Unfortunately, it is a game when it should not be, maybe chess or similar so have varying moves in your mind and listen intently. When you hear something you dislike, straight away may not be the time to query, but remember it and bring your queries back in when you wish to.

Have plans for what you wish to say, what you wish to achieve, then when you wish to say it and how you wish to do it, but be fluid in your approach so you play the game as best as you can.

In supporting you there is the Care Act 2014, however, it should have gone further but didn’t, but it is providing better than there was before. It is extremely lengthy in its entirety and the many various sections and many people even within the authorities will not have read it let alone understand it.

After all discussions have gone you do have a right to make a complaint in any medium you wish to do so, telephone, to the person if its a face to face or virtual, letter, or others, but whatever measure you do, please retain evidence of what you say, when and who to for this is essential if you then wish to engage with the appropriate Ombudsman or if possible a Judicial Review.

Any approach you undertake will be stressful, very consuming of time, but other than the Judicial Review should be without any financial costs to do so. The problem with the Judicial Review is finding a solicitor willing to take on the Judicial Review.

There are many problems with social care, the so ineffective systems, lack of finance, lacking of persons in social care, but perhaps more important is a total lack of concern and understanding by the government, some areas of the media and in many instances many of the UK population. For if you are not engaging in social care many of the UK population are unaware of its significance, until they too need to engage in social care.

Social care is or should be seen as an emergency service and financed and staffed sufficiently, but is unfortunately not in the UK. However, also in many other parts of the world, some are better but many more are worse.

This is all based on my experiences of being a family carer over 40 years and even though both my wife and my disabled daughter are now deceased I am still much engaged in the various areas and do welcome comments and information from other carers.

I so wish you well in the many difficult areas you will experience.

Christmas 2023

For many in the UK 2023 has been far from a good year due to the high costs of living, high energy and food costs, many strikes in several professions, crisis in the NHS, Social Care and many other areas.

While it has been far from easy and will continue to be so into 2024, we in the UK are in some respects in a better form than some others in many parts of the World, especially Gaza, Ukraine and some other countries.

Life is not good for many in the UK but at least we currently don’t have the loss of life and the destruction of buildings due to war.

While our lives may not be as we wish for, please feel for others who are in many respects much worse.

You may not feel like celebrating Christmas 2023 but do try to enjoy it as best you can.

Have the best Merry Christmas you can and so hope for a more Happy New Year for everyone.

Wishing you all to be well.

NHS dentistry as we know it ‘gone for good’ | BBC News

NHS dentistry as we know it ‘gone for good’, well what is new for dentistry has not been great for many years and each year it declines even further. But, in the NHS it is not just dentistry, for dentistry is just one of many parts, GP surgeries, Pharmacies, Community health, hospitals and others and while not part of the NHS, but still an essential service to the NHS, social care. None are as good as they should be and need to be and it is all down to finance from the government. For, in real terms, financing of the NHS has been reducing for many years and with social care virtually non-existent for most years.

All are existing on borrowed time and could all disappear in the ‘blink of an eye’ or be seen to do so, as for many most areas of the NHS and social care don’t really exist today at all.

Those who can afford to and some that really can’t, get care and treatments privately, but for most of us that is not at all possible and so we continue to suffer while the government plays games. Put a little bit here and a little bit more there and while these little bits look large they are nowhere near large enough and have not been for years thus leading to the declines we see today.

These declines will continue and with it the health of most of the UK population will seriously decline, thus causing even more demands on the NHS and social care. What is needed is not to bring in consultants just consulting the areas concerned and the persons trying to use the insufficient services, for they are the experts and not the government, consultants for profit, or the civil service. Change the way government works for currently it is the government not working that is the problem.

Source: NHS dentistry as we know it ‘gone for good’ | BBC News

Unearthing ‘gold standard’ practice with unpaid carers| Community Care

It is good that the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) is working with charities to engage with unpaid carers as unpaid carers and also persons in need of care are a vast source of information and are greatly underused by many organisations.

I have been working with my own Local Authority, (LA) for several years along with several other unpaid family carers and also persons in need of care.

However, in this, within my own Local Authority, I and others have found much misunderstanding of co-production, by some of the persons within the LA and perhaps the LA itself. So, while using co-production, please fully understand what co-production is.

In some instances they bring something on which work has already been done and now looking for some form of agreement or not, but that is not co-production or even co-design, but purely consultation.

In co-production all the parties to the co-production should be invited as early as possible, perhaps just when there is some form of an idea of what to look for and then engage with the participants to extend the idea to become a full proposal on how to proceed to a final agreement and then implementation. The work produced is and should be owned by the co-production participant as a group. At every stage the group should be involved in the decision process or at least be advised on what has or hasn’t been agreed and the reasons why before any further actions are taken. partners should always be equal even though the LA and any similar organisations will be larger, but size and power should not be factors as the co-production group should have equal power including all participants within the group. All views should be given equal acknowledgement and consideration and all participants be respected.

In co-production communication is a vital ingredient, which many LAs are far from good at because their concept for years has been telling rather than asking and then respecting.

In the article states “The panel gives them the chance to offer feedback about the services they are using every day and iron out issues they are personally experiencing.

There are many aspects to co-production one of which it shouldn’t be rushed, so in any good co-production a good length of time has to be there, no definite preconceived ideas, but a willingness to listen and be open, accountable and transparent, again concepts that have been alien to LAs for years.

“In doing this, we as managers are then able to take this feedback and make the changes that are needed to the way we work, which benefits all unpaid carers in our borough.”, this can be part of consulting the group, but only a small part of what should be being done.

I say this has, if co-production had been there before the services started, perhaps areas which are being seen as not good or as good as they could be could have been better shaped from the commencement of the services and in that be much better valued by all concerned, as value to persons requiring services should be one of the main priorities. While costs of services, especially in the current climate will be a major factor, when all views and opinions are being mentioned costs at that stage should not be a reason to discount them, as over time ways to include could be found, but would’t be if costs stopped them dead at first mention, again a concept not readily accepted within LAs.

I do see looking at co-production as a great step forward for LAs, but only if it is co-production as it should be and not as directed by LAs, for if the latter it will not be co-production no matter how many times it is mentioned that it is.

Step learning curve for LAs and would be even stepper for central government, for central government need to do much better also, for central government don’t wish to even listen no matter how many times they say they are. Now is that a misunderstanding or deliberate by central government, I know which I believe.

Source: Unearthing ‘gold standard’ practice with unpaid carers| Community Care

More people receiving long-term care following years of decline | Community Care

What these figures fail to consider is that yes, there was a decline in people receiving long-term care, but the demand was increasing, however, due to a lack of funding those who were offered long-term care were restricted due to tighter criteria being used.

Previously moderate care needs would have been funded long-term. Still, the revised criteria meant that virtually only severe care needs were being granted funding, so there was a drastic non-funding of care needs.

In many instances, the non-funding was not being recorded as many social workers only recorded the assessment of needs instances where they expected funding to be granted. While many persons in need of care decided there was no point in questioning the non-funding for they were led to believe it would be a waste of time, which it most likely was, it resulted in much under-recording of unmet needs. I know this to be true because many families have advised me, so by saying what was the point of making waves and being considered a problem family? That is the power of well-intentioned social workers but missing the need for accurate recordings of needs. They may been warned not to bring any needs that would more than likely not be funded by their senior managers.

Systems have to be fully adhered to, even though the systems are nowhere near fit for purpose and now statistics are so way out but with no recorded proof that they are.

The trust in Local Authorities, (LAs) is so poor, but the real problem was and is the government by them severely restricting LA funding from 2010 with their dreaded austerity cuts. This has created the so serious crisis in social care and still no real funding for social care, just some to paper over the cracks, but those cracks are severely widening and now we see how over the years it has and still is severely impacting the NHS. The long-term survival of social care and then, the NHS is so much of a concern, and the survival of both to any degree is suspect.

Source: More people receiving long-term care following years of decline | Community Care

Explain to your MP why implementing the LPS is an urgent priority

Explain to your MP why implementing the LPS is an urgent priority

===============================================================================

As Lucy says there are many important issues to consider, but LPS has to be one of those, so please could you contact your MP and explain why it is. The safeguarding of many people in the UK require LPS in order to live their lives as they should and as you will appreciate so much more needs to be done, especially in social care and I so hope it will be soon.

10% national living wage hike will trigger adult social care cuts, councils warn | Community Care

While £8.1 billion is welcomed, even before the 10% increase to the National Living Wage, the increase should have been around £12 billion, so at least another 10% is required on the £12 billion. However, that will only fund the National Living Wage of £11.44 from 1 April 2024, when much more is required, the minimum starting pay rate for a social care worker has to be at least £15 per hour or more to encouragemore to enter the care profession.

Then with the alterations to the migration criteria even less will come from outside the UK, so the crisis will get much worse, so this government and the next one need to ‘pull their heads out of the sand’ and provide the funding to social care it has to have.

But, pay rates are just one of the problems for

proper travel expenses need to be paid which not only covers all mileage, but travel time as well

Statutory Sick Pay is far from sufficient so extra needs to be provided to ensure a proper sick pay arrangement is put in place

There are others but the above are the most important.

If not we can say goodbye to social care and after that the NHS.

Source: 10% national living wage hike will trigger adult social care cuts, councils warn | Community Care

NHS crisis: Ayrshire nurse works ‘shocking’ 18 hour shift | The Herald

Does this really come as a surprise, it should do, but really is more of a reality than it shopuld be and not just in Scotland, but in the whole of the UK. Also, not just in the NHS, but in many instances in Social Care.

For in both the NHS and Social Care, there are many instances of staff shortages, mainly down to problems of recruitment, but also in large degrees due to illness, which in many instances will be stress related creating many problems with mental health, but stress can also relate to instances of physical health too.

We are more aware of how this is all affecting the NHS, but awareness is not aways seen about social care and in many instances social care is not on any awareness agenda, especially with regards to a government agenda.

But it is not just staff shortages and the lack of finance to recruit and also for capital expenditure, but the lack of social care and to some degree of lack of NHS care results in more health deterioration and so increases the demand for more social care and even more NHS care. For NHS care is not just hospitals, for its is GPs and GPs surgeries, Pharmacies, community health, Dentists, opticans, in fact every aspects of care and it is not getting better, but so much worse.

Pay rates in the NHS while not good and so much better than pay rates in social care, which is very mistakenly viewed as an unskilled profession, but to provide the good quality care required is a very extremely skilled profession, in many instances in at least the skilled as in the NHS.

In the NHS much of the career is not that individual, even though it is being given to individuals but as the system dictates, when it should be more individual-based,(person-centred care).

While in social care, which is so much more than care homes for much is done in people’s own homes, the care needs to be much more individual care if the time restraints allow, for 15-minute visits and to some extent 30-minute visits should be outlawed, for little can be fully achieved in those time-restricted care. For social care has to be person-centered care and if not there is no real care being administered, but through no fault of the carer, but the system and so much lack of finance again creating an extensive shortage of carers. Many carers only just or a little more receive the National living Wage, currently £10.42 per hour but is expected to be raised to £11.44 per hour with effect from 1 April 2024, but again that is so insufficient as it should already be £14 per hour so £15per hour from 1 April 2024.

Government funding for both the NHS and social care has to be increased and not as stated funding to be reduced yet again. How social care is even existing is hard to believe, perhaps due to the efforts of family carers who in 2021 saved the UK well over £193 billion and maybe even more now. But that is at the expense of family carers health which will continue to deteriorate leading to more needs of social care and care within the NHS. It is only going to get worse without the required levels of government funding not just for one year but consistently every year., otherwise we won’t have any social care and NHS to speak of. We think it is bad now but without the funding it will get so much worse and so will the lengths of shifts 18 hours will not just be the norm, but even greater will be the norm, that is if any services are even there.

This is not just creating a scare it is stating what the future will be for all of us, except the rich.

Source: NHS crisis: Ayrshire nurse works ‘shocking’ 18 hour shift | The Herald