Since Boris Johnson first promised he had a plan to ‘fix the crisis in social care once and for all’ more than 23 months ago, 2 million people have had their requests for care turned down, care workers and families have been stretched to breaking point, and thousands of people […]
Caring for older people
I’m campaigning for better services and support for older people, carers and their families, and a sustainable system for funding our NHS and social care in future.
Fury as Boris Johnson axes key meeting to fix funding crisis as he yet again delays pledge to mend broken system
This dithering and delay from the Prime Minister on important talks on social care reform is entirely unsurprising. We have been waiting almost two years to see the ‘clear plan’ for social care that he claimed to have prepared, and all we’ve heard about it is nine words in the […]
Matt Hancock accused of ‘rewriting history’ with denial of PPE shortages
Matt Hancock was at best disingenuous in his evidence to the select committee today. He selectively used briefings, evidence and clinical advice to defend his record instead of admitting his abject failure to protect care homes in the pandemic. Even Matt Hancock knows he now categorically failed to put a […]
Pressure on Hancock over failure to protect care home residents
Last week, Matt Hancock claimed it ‘wasn’t possible’ to test all care home residents for Covid-19 before they were discharged from hospital. However, there were over 530,000 tests carried out in the UK by 20 April 2020. To compare, there were 25,000 people discharged from hospitals to care homes. By […]
Patients were sent back to care homes without Covid test despite bosses’ plea
Public Health England’s report, written in October, claims that only 1.6% of outbreaks in care homes had come from inpatients who had been discharged from hospital. The analysis in this report is based on people who were tested in hospital – when the precise problem was 25,000 elderly patients were […]
Matt Hancock facing fresh questions over Covid in care homes
Guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care at the start of the pandemic did not even mention the need to test care home residents before discharging them from hospital. This didn’t change until almost a month after the country went into national lockdown. This is despite clear evidence […]
Ministers face calls to rein in investors who take profits at the expense of care home residents
The Daily Mail have launched a campaign highlighting the problem of private equity firms buying up care homes. When Southern Cross collapsed in 2011 there were thousands of residents living in their care homes facing distress and anxiety. They were left in the dark about whether they would be able to […]
Liz attends Dementia Action Week event
Yesterday, I joined a peer support group for carers who are looking after loved ones with dementia. Caring for someone with dementia can be especially difficult. Support groups like this one are crucial for giving carers the support they need. We discussed the challenges that families who provide care are […]
Liz joins Rights for Residents campaigners
Yesterday I joined Rights for Residents at their virtual petition hand-in on Parliament Square. I spoke to campaigners about their experiences of being unable to visit their loved ones in care homes, and how it has impacted on their lives. Rights for Residents have been campaigning tirelessly for the rights of […]
Liz sets out Labour’s priorities for social care reform
As part of my speech at the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services Spring Conference, I am today calling for social care to be treated as part of Britain’s infrastructure, treating it the same way we would the roads and railways. If you neglect your country’s physical infrastructure, you […]
Liz speaks in Westminster Hall debate on social care and Covid-19
Yesterday I spoke in the Westminster Hall debate on ‘social care and the Covid-19 outbreak’. For all of us, the tragedy in social care during this pandemic will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Over 41,000 care home residents have died from coronavirus, and a third of […]
Liz meets unpaid carers
Earlier today, I met with unpaid carers in a meeting organised by Carers UK. I was struck by the incredible resilience of the carers I spoke to and their dedication to the loved ones they care for, but it was clear that they need more support. Covid-19 has meant that carers have […]