My own constituency, Oldham West, is one of the poorest in the country. How are they being affected by the cascade of cuts? Housing benefit cuts in April will particularly impact on pensioners, families on low incomes, disabled people (many already traumatised by Atos assessments of their alleged capability for work), the long-term sick , […]
Posts under ‘Social Care’
Money for 3,500 troops for Olympics, but not for decent social care for elderly
Jul 17th, 2012 by Michael Meacher.The most strking aspect of the Coalition’s adult social care package is that it is riddled with internal conflicts. The Minister in last night’s Commons debate stressed the importance of preventive action, but how is that possible when intervention is confined only to when the elderly person’s condition reaches the critical category? The whole thrust […]
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Rochdale gang sexual abuse linked to private equity care turmoil
May 18th, 2012 by Michael Meacher.The sexual abuse by the gang uncovered in Rochdale is horrific enough, and made worse by the abject failure of the police to respond to pleas for help from the teenage victims over several years, but questions have naturally been asked about how such young girls could have been preyed on so extensively when they […]
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Disabled people take the front line
Jan 14th, 2012 by Michael Meacher.All power to the Lords, led by the Baronesses Lister and Hollis! They orchestrated a well-deserved defeat for the Government on three fronts yesterday. They blocked the means-testing of ESA payments for disable people after one year, the time-limiting of ESA for cancer patients, and the restriction of access to ESA for disabled or ill young […]
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Is a Cinderella service tolerable for 3 million over 80?
Nov 23rd, 2011 by Michael Meacher.The Equality and Human Rights Commission report ‘Close to Home’, published today, makes sober reading. Recent reports have all shown unacceptably poor and sinking standards for vulnerable people in care – in hospitals (Mid Staffs), in residential care (Southern Cross, Winterbourne), and now in domicilary care in their own homes (this EHRC report based on […]
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The five lies in the NHS bill
Sep 7th, 2011 by Michael Meacher.Despite the unctuous assurances from the Government, repeated again yesterday at the Report stage of Lansley’s bill, that the NHS would be preserved, on 5 key counts the content of the bill flatly belies their pledges: First they said that private patients should not be able to jump the queue. Yet clause 168 of the […]
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Southern Cross links exposed with Qatar, RBS & Goldman Sachs
Jun 16th, 2011 by Michael Meacher.The story behind Southern Cross that is slowly being exposed gets worse by the hour. We now know from research by the GMB, which represents nearly 11,000 staff employed by Southern Cross, that up to half of the properties at the 753 care homes were acquired by a company called NHP, of which the ultimate […]
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Because elderly people lack political clout, social care is in crisis
Jun 5th, 2011 by Michael Meacher.If there’s one good thing about Southern Cross and Winterbourne View, it’s that they bring the scandal over care for the elderly to boiling point. Yes, the depredations of uncontrolled private equity in both cases masking a killing out of the most vulnerable should now lead to regulation reining them in over social care – […]
