29Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems back proposals for “world class” mental health support for health and care staff

Lib Dems back proposals for “world class” mental health support for health and care staff

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference has backed new plans to provide “world class” mental support for health and care staff, including calls for a 24/7 mental health support hotline for staff. The motion was agreed as the latest figures from the NHS show that anxiety, stress, depression and other psychiatric illnesses accounted for over half a million days’ absence in May 2020. This is an increase of 37% on the same month last year, according to analysis by the Liberal Democrats.  The Party has now adopted policies that would see mental health support services strengthened for “under pressure and overstretched” health and care staff, including ancillary workers like porters and cleaners.  Specific measures include:   That a mental health support phone hotline is made available 24/7 for health and care staff.  Scrapping HR practices that encourage presenteeism and can deter staff…
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23Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrats believe social care will be a Cinderella service if transferred to NHS

Liberal Democrats believe social care will be a Cinderella service if transferred to NHS

Borough news, Campaigns
The Oldham Liberal Democrats are concerned that social care will become a secondary priority if transferred from local authority control to the National Health Service. At present, local authorities, like Oldham Council, take the primary role in providing a care service to elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents living at home, but Conservative ministers are rumoured to be considering transferring this responsibility to the NHS. Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, said: “I know from recent personal experience that the National Health Service with its excellent medical facilities and dedicated staff do a wonderful job, but, the NHS does so many things and is such a large organisation, that I really fear that social care in its hands would become a Cinderella service, at the bottom of the rung…
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16Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrat Leader says all’s not well with Health and Well-being Board

Liberal Democrat Leader says all’s not well with Health and Well-being Board

Borough news
Oldham Council’s Health and Well-being Board has failed to meet four times in the last twelve months, and Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, who is a member, is not impressed. Councillor Sykes has written to Board Chair, Councillor Jean Stretton, to point out this represents a serious democratic deficit especially when the Health and Well-being Board is charged with providing oversight to social care and NHS services.   Councillor Sykes says that: “At a time when Oldham Borough is in the grip of an unprecedented health crisis, I cannot believe that the Board has no business – pressing or otherwise to consider.” His hope is that the Chair will agree that the Board should: “not be side-lined, meetings should be held, and the issues faced, addressed and debated.”
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16Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrats lambast Tories over three-year Social Care bill delay

Liberal Democrats lambast Tories over three-year Social Care bill delay

Borough news
The Oldham Liberal Democrats have lambasted the Conservative Government for delaying once again their long-awaited proposals to overhaul the social care system. Details are not expected to now be released until the Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Autumn Statement at the earliest; this is scheduled for late November. The Conservatives first promised to publish a Green Paper on social care for public consultation in the summer of 2017. This is now more than three years behind schedule. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, said: “This extra delay is yet another example of the prevarication shown by this uncaring Conservative Government in making policy about the future of our under-threat social care system. Due to consistent underfunding of local government and the National Health Service, the provision of quality care to…
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01Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Bill introduced to give health and care workers right to remain

Bill introduced to give health and care workers right to remain

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats will today introduce a Bill calling on the Government to offer indefinite leave to remain to foreign nationals currently working in the health and social care sectors.Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine, who is moving the Ten Minute Rule Bill, has warned it is unacceptable that people who put their lives on the line during Covid-19 should not be welcome to stay. The Liberal Democrats have secured cross-party support from Labour, Conservative, SNP, Green, Plaid, DUP and Alliance MPs. Ahead of the Bill’s reading on Tuesday, Ms Jardine said: “Foreign nationals in the NHS have been on the frontline in protecting us from Covid-19, putting themselves at risk and in many cases paying the ultimate price. “Their skills have been vital to all of us throughout this crisis. The least we can do now…
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03Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems: Government have deserted care homes entirely

Parliamentary news
Responding to the reports that the Government has abandoned their pledge to test all care home residents regularly throughout the summer, Liberal Democrat Health, Wellbeing and Social Care spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “The decision to drop the pledge to test all care home residents regularly would be a decision to desert care home residents entirely. The reports today, if true, are sadly just another example of a Government that is either woefully incompetent or one that simply doesn’t care. "The Government has made clear right throughout the coronavirus crisis that protecting those in our care homes is not a priority for them - from the beginning of the crisis, Ministers failed to equip care homes with sufficient testing and PPE, whilst discharging patients with the virus into their homes. "The…
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30Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Leaked letter shows thousands of care home residents being exposed to virus

Parliamentary news
Responding to a leaked letter from Care UK showing that they no longer have access to regular testing for staff and residents, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “If we needed any evidence that this Government is still throwing care homes to the wolves, then this is it. From the very beginning of the pandemic this Government failed to ensure care homes had access to adequate testing and PPE, whilst discharging patients with the virus into their homes. "This letter is damning. With a potential second peak on the horizon, the UK's largest provider of social care no longer having access to regular testing for staff and residents will leave thousands of our most vulnerable exposed to coronavirus. "The Prime Minister and his Government are not learning the lessons they need to if…
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28Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

PAC report on social care demands lessons are learned

Parliamentary news
Commenting on a Public Accounts Committee report which condemns the “slow, inconsistent and at times negligent approach” to the social care sector during the Covid-19 pandemic, Liberal Democrat MP and member of the committee Sarah Olney said: “The coronavirus has left people worried about their future and mourning loved ones. While we have relied on frontline staff to protect us, the Government's PPE shortages seriously let NHS and care workers down.  "People deserve better. Ministers must read and act on this report before it is too late to prepare for a second wave. That means rapidly upscaling the strategy to test, trace and isolate every case of coronavirus to keep people safe and prevent new surges. "To improve public confidence, the Prime Minister must set out a timetable for the independent inquiry into the Government’s actions. With…
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24Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Care sector is facing a new crisis as we emerge from lockdown – Davey

Parliamentary news
The Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has warned that the care sector is facing a new crisis in care as we emerge from the national lockdown. ONS figures released today show the shocking number of people who have either received reduced or cancelled care since the beginning of lockdown. Of those who received care before the lockdown for physical or mental health conditions, 30% reported they had received some reduced treatment and 21% reported that their treatment had been cancelled. Even before the coronavirus crisis there were over 100k vacancies in the care sector and the Government is yet to provide extra money to local authorities to deal with the coronavirus crisis as promised in March. Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Whilst millions people are now starting to get back something…
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22Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Pay rises without cash mean more cuts to schools and the police – Davey

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that nearly 900,000 public sector workers will receive a pay rise out of existing departmental budgets, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader Ed Davey said: “Accepting the independent review body’s pay recommendations was the very least the Chancellor could do. Yet, as overall budgets remain unchanged, the reality is our schools, police and wider public services will struggle to meet this award without significant cuts elsewhere in their budgets, including redundancies.  “And utterly failing to recognise the outstanding effort of social care staff during the COVID-19 crisis is simply not acceptable. Councils and the wider care sector must be properly funded. “Since the early days of this pandemic, Liberal Democrats have been the first to argue for a better deal for NHS and care staff, yet Ministers seem to think that…
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