Tag Archives: carers
Warning over cuts to care of Norfolk elderly
Campaigners fear death rates among the elderly will increase this winter because of spending cuts.
Richard Wheeler Friday, December 30, 2011
6:00 AM
The concerns have been raised after Age UK director Michelle Mitchell yesterday warned elderly care will be plunged into “absolute crisis” by the government decreasing the cash available to council social care budgets.
She added this could end up costing more in the long run, with thousands of older people ending up in hospital rather than receiving care at home.
And Lady Joyce Hopwood, chairman of the Norfolk Older People’s Strategic Partnership Board, said more vulnerable and frail people were missing out on the help they needed.
She added that this was because councils and charitable groups were attempting to manage decreasing budgets and increasing workloads.
Free NHS helpline for whistlblowers launching 1st January 2012
NHS whistleblowers helpline due to be launched
A free helpline for whistleblowers in the NHS and social services is to be launched on Sunday.
The move is part of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s drive to ensure staff can raise “genuine concerns” about standards “without fear of reprisal”.
But a whistleblowers’ group said the announcement was an “admission of failure” that existing internal processes were not working.
The helpline – 08000 724 725 – will be provided by the Royal Mencap Society.
It will operate Monday to Friday between 0800 GMT and 1800 GMT, and there also be an out-of-hours answering service at weekends and bank holidays.
Please rethink move which stopped blind people from using their bus pass with carer
Crunch decision due on free blind bus travel in Norfolk
A crunch decision on whether to rethink a move which stopped blind people from using their bus passes to travel to work for free before 9.30am will be made next week.
Norfolk County Council took over responsibility in April for the administration of concessionary bus travel, but the authority, facing a gap of £4.5m between what the government gives it to reimburse bus operators and the actual cost of the scheme, cut the hours bus pass holders can get free travel.
