It’s concerning that the former Health Secretary made promises to care home residents and families that went against the advice of his own health experts. When the Government finally launches its public inquiry into their handling of the coronavirus pandemic, it must be absolutely clear about what advice Ministers received, […]
Liz in the news
Find out what I’ve been saying and doing in the media.
Sajid Javid warned ‘families have heard enough excuses’ on social care
The new Health Secretary said he would lay out the ‘general direction’ for social care reform this year. The Government have had over a decade to set out the ‘general direction’ of their social care reforms, yet have repeatedly failed to do so. Social care staff, users and their families […]
New questions for Matt Hancock over key data on care homes
Matt Hancock’s claims that there was no list of care homes at the start of the pandemic is at best disingenuous. Family members will be incredibly frustrated to hear yet another excuse from the Secretary of State, and instead of trying to defend his record, he needs to take responsibility […]
Families are left to suffer as Boris Johnson puts off vital reform
After a decade of Tory cuts, the shocking fact is that our care workers can’t deliver services to all those who need it. This provides neither the dignity nor security that Boris Johnson promised for older and disabled people. Almost two years after he promised to fix this crisis, too […]
Government told to ‘grasp the nettle’ and set out social care reforms and give people ‘security’
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 […]
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 […]
Government failing people with autism and learning disabilities
Yesterday, I spoke in a Westminster Hall Debate in Parliament on ‘Winterbourne View Hospital and the Transforming Care Programme’ On the 31st May 2011 a BBC Panorama documentary revealed appalling abuse of people with a learning disability and/or autism at the Winterbourne View Assessment and Treatment Unit (ATU). Footage of […]
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 […]