Category Archives: Carers

A card to show someone cares

February 6, 2013   Carers, Scotland, young carers

Wednesday 6 February 2013

It’s a grown-up job for some of our youngest people.

Published on Wednesday 6 February 2013 08:00

 

Being a young carer to a parent or relative is a role that is not chosen but is one that is accepted and valued by those who many of us would still class as children.

In their position as carer, their job is something that many more fortunate youngsters could not even comprehend, little alone do.

That’s why a new scheme was launched this week to make sure young carers enjoy more of the rights they deserve to continue with their vital role as well as live one of the most exciting and promising stages of their lives.

It all started a few years ago.

During the Young Carers Festival in 2010, carers were asked about the problems they faced in their role and what could be done about them.

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Medical staff to be made personally liable for their care they provide to their patients

February 6, 2013   Carers, DOH, health
Medical staff must face criminal charges for failures, says care scandal report

They could also be prosecuted if they break a new statutory duty of ‘candour’ requiring openness with patients, families and healthcare regulator

Wednesday 06 February 2013

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Doctors, nurses and hospital managers should face criminal prosecution if they fail to provide basic standards of safe care to their patients, a landmark report recommends today.

The Francis Report into the lessons to be learnt from the scandal of Stafford Hospital calls for all medical staff to be made personally liable for their care they provide to their patients, and for a “zero tolerance” approach to poor standards.

They could also be prosecuted if they break a new statutory duty of “candour” which would require health professional to be honest with patients, families and healthcare regulators.

The inquiry chaired by Robert Francis QC was set up to assess the wider lessons to be learnt by the NHS from the Staffordshire scandal where up to 1,200 patients died unnecessarily because of widespread failings in both Mid Staffordshire Trust and the wider NHS.

He made a total of 290 sweeping recommendations for healthcare regulators, providers and the Government in his 1,782 page report. Among its main recommendations are:

* A new register for health care support workers – the lowest rung of caring staff in the NHS – which would be able to “strike off” poorly performing staff. There would also be a code of conduct and new minimum training standards for such staff.

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Benefits cut ‘will push vulnerable people over edge’

February 5, 2013   Carers, ukcuts

Benefits cut ‘will push vulnerable people over edge’

Written byChris Havergal

Published: 05/02/2013 08:29

Hard-up villagers face losing hundreds of pounds in their benefit payments from April.

Claimants in South Cambridgeshire could lose up to 8.5 per cent of their council tax support when the district council takes on responsibility for the handout. At worst, this could be £5 a week – or more than £200 annually.

The cut was caused by the Government providing £1 million less for the scheme, but Liberal Democrats argued the Conservative-run council should have absorbed the reduction, rather than passing it on to residents.

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