Monthly Archives: June 2013

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust 'should rethink' cuts

June 13, 2013   Carers, mental health, Norfolk

Rethink “inadvisable cuts”

The resignation of the chief executive of Norfolk and Suffolk’s mental health services will provide an opportunity to rethink “inadvisable cuts”, the British Medical Association (BMA) has said.

 Aidan Thomas is leaving the post at the end of the month.

Aidan Thomas is leaving the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which plans to cut up to 500 jobs.

The BMA’s Dr Rob Harwood said it was a time of “disruption and upheaval”.

“Staff are increasingly concerned about the safety and quality of services,” he said.

The trust is looking to save £40m over four years and could lose 49 doctors’ posts.

‘Safe services’

Dr Harwood, chairman of the Eastern regional consultants committee, said the BMA “admired Mr Thomas’s energy, sincerity and commitment” and was “sorry that he has resigned”.

But he urged the trust to use the change in leadership as a chance to reconsider its planned cuts.

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Social care and health professionals should do more to support family carers

June 13, 2013   Carers, carersweek, Social care

The UK’s 6.5m unpaid carers play a vital role, yet too often their contribution is ignored or misunderstood

Professionals are uniquely placed to recognise the role carers perform. They can help them with local support and services.

Unpaid carers are vitally important partners in supporting people to live independently. If we accept this, then it naturally follows that social care and health professionals have a fundamental role in helping carers to recognise how important their work is.

This year, Skills for Care, of which I am chief executive, is delighted to be supporting Carers Week (10-16 June), the theme of which is Prepared to Care? Over the course of this week we are working with social care and health professionals to see how they can pro-actively support the UK’s 6.5 million carers.

Social care and health professionals might not always fully understand the central role of the carer or, worse still, ignore it. We know that sometimes professionals don’t listen to what they are saying or may even see the carer as interfering and not acting in the best interests of the service user. But by embracing the role of the carer and helping them to understand their role we can avoid adversarial situations that can arise between professionals and carers. It makes much more sense to recognise people in a caring role as a major partner in the delivery of a person’s support and to support the carer also.

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Carers Told To ‘Ask For Help’

June 13, 2013   Carers, dementia, Scotland

Carers need to be cared for too

Today sees the launch of a new DVD to reach out to carers in Glasgow to recognise the value of their contribution.. With an estimated 660,000 unpaid carers in Scotland caring for a family member, friend and loved one the short film highlights that ‘It’s OK to ask for Help.’

The film features Tommy Whitelaw who is well known in carer’s circles across the country for his relentless campaigning for services for people with dementia and their carers.

Tommy cared for his mum Joan and experienced first-hand what it is like to care for someone with dementia. Tommy collected carer stories around Scotland to raise awareness of the impact of dementia on families and the difficult but vital role played by carers.

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