Commenting on the complete absence of help in the Autumn Statement for social care or the NHS, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:
“Hopes were raised the Chancellor would conjure up extra cash for social care, and ease the burden on the NHS and local councils struggling to keep a lid on the growing crisis.
“Instead the government has chosen to ignore social care, preferring to look the other way as a growing number of elderly people are getting no care at all.
“Scrimping on social care is a huge false economy. Older people are often stranded in hospitals, unable to go home, using beds needed by other patients. This turns up the heat on our already overstretched NHS, which has also been forgotten about today.
“Raising the minimum wage, without proper enforcement, will be a meaningless move for thousands of homecare workers, because of the widespread non-payment of travel time.
“With no extra resources for local councils – whose budgets will be down £6.1bn by the end of the decade – the minimum wage increase means unbearable pressure on care budgets. The losers will be older people needing care and the dedicated workforce struggling to look after them.”
Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen T: 0207 121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk
Sophie Goodchild T: 0207 121 5546 M: 07767 325595 E: s.goodchild@unison.co.uk
Alan Weaver T: 0207 121 5555 M: 07939 143310 E: a.weaver@unison.co.uk
Joe Lewis T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07970 863 411 E: j.lewis5@unison.co.uk
