Care sector pushed to brink by staffing catastrophe

UNISON and the National Care Forum (NCF) have written jointly to Sajid Javid today (Thursday) calling for urgent action over the staffing crisis engulfing the care sector. The letter to the health and social care secretary says they’ve taken this “unprecedented step” in response to daily reports from care providers and staff of serious worker shortages. They say this “recruitment and retention emergency” has been triggered by “chronic underfunding leading to low wages, staff burnout, and mandatory vaccination”. It comes ahead of the government’s spending review next week, and amid warnings that social care desperately needs an injection of cash ​just so care providers ​can maintain existing levels of service. UNISON – the largest union representing employees in social care – and the NCF, the organisation representing not-for-profit care providers, say social care is gripped by a staffing crisis of “a magnitude that threatens to overwhelm the sector” unless the government steps in. The letter goes on: “Care providers are already having to hand back contracts, turn down new requests for care​, at home and in care homes​, as a direct result of the acute shortage of workers. The government must act now because social care matters to us all. “This country cannot afford to lose any more care staff. Each and every one of us has a loved one who may well need their skill, support and compassion, or require help themselves eventually. Please do...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article Christina McAnea social care Source Type: news