Author Archives: GovWorldMag

Barbara Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Social Care, commenting on the latest delayed transfer of care figures, said:

“Over the past seven years the Tories have presided over a crisis in social care. Today’s delayed transfer of care figures show that crisis is still getting worse on their watch.

“It is deeply worrying that delayed transfers of care attributed to social care have increased by almost 10,000 since last year and have doubled in the last three years.  We know that keeping older and vulnerable patients in hospital longer than needed poses significant risks to their morale, mobility and to their likelihood of contracting hospital-acquired infections. Under this Government these risks are increasing.

“The Tory solution of threatening to punish those councils struggling with social care is not the answer. Taking funding away from councils will only lead to worsening quality and safety issues in care. Rather than threatening councils, the Tories need to match Labour’s commitment and provide urgent additional funding for social care.”

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, commenting on the Government’s announcement of new ambulance service standards, said:

“This Government have failed to hit any of their main NHS ambulance targets since May 2015 and an updated system that truly works for patients is clearly overdue. NHS ambulance trusts must now be given every support to build a new system which has the support of paramedics and patients alike.

“The truth is that the Tories’ underfunding and mismanagement of the NHS has pushed ambulance services to the brink and left record numbers of patients suffering and in discomfort. The public will want to know that a new series of standards is truly based on the best clinical evidence and not just on the money which the Government are making available.

“Sir Bruce Keogh has shown great leadership in demanding the best for NHS patients. The Government must now match these ambitions and give ambulance trusts the support and resources they need to deliver the best possible quality of care for ill and injured patients.”