Wednesday, October 9, 2013

15 Minutes of Care - The True Cost of Tory Privatisation

The fifteen minute turnaround is the stark realisation of how privatisation of our NHS, social care and welfare will do irreparable harm to actual real people in their real lives in our communities. Apparently Cameron and Osborne think it is OK to print money to buy them votes in an insane housing policy that will lead to the inevitable wrecking of the economy, but we are told we cannot afford to fund local authorities properly in order that they can pay for and thus provide adequate social care.

The thought of our elderly and disabled being abused by our government like this should have us all up in arms demanding that something be done immediately, but in truth it was soon forgotten in the right wing newspapers and broadcast media.

Everyone should be asking themselves what has become of our country where we used to care for others and where accepting this kind of treatment would have caused outrage? Why are we allowing this appalling treatment of our most vulnerable defenceless people?

David Cameron is always available for photo shoots when it means great publicity for him in the recent Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards he was very willing to be photographed with a wonderful lady 91 year old Jean Bishop, who has been collecting for charity dressed as a bee for 18 years and raised £100,000, however, would the PM be just as willing to be photographed with a 91 year old immobile person who was being forced to choose between having a drink or going to the toilet, because carers can only stay for 15 mins to get  them up toileted, washed and dressed? Would he like his elderly and or disabled relatives treated in this fashion?

Don't blame the carers, this is how long they are told they can stay, if they stay for longer they do not get paid, as it is they probably get around £1.58 for their 15 minutes of work which multiplied by four is the minimum wage. (£6.31). Unlike MPs carers do not get paid petrol money or travel expenses and they have to buy their own lunch. They are also employed on zero hour contracts. These jobs constitute a vast majority of the jobs that Cameron and Osborne are always bragging about being made in the private sector.
These jobs used to be done by people employed by the local authority who worked in teams of people led by qualified nurses, they were not paid by the patient, they were paid by the hour, they had proper jobs, with proper pay and they gave a proper service.

When David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt try to make capital out slandering the former Health Secretary Andy Burnham about Mid Staffs hospital, do they forget about the appalling neglect which is currently happening on their watch right now? It is the great unspoken outrage that is happening in the villages, towns, City streets up and down this country. Elderly and disabled people everywhere being left filthy, unwashed and neglected and hungry and in some cases dying of starvation, by staff who hardly get a foot in the door before they have to leave.

Does Cameron not want us to know about the terrible heartbreaking case of the 81 year old bedridden lady who suffered with dementia and was entirely dependent upon four daily visits from carers sent from a *PRIVATE* agency contracted by the local authority to look after her. But for NINE days she was starved to death because she was left bedridden without her medication, water and food after the care company that sent in workers was raided by immigration for employing black market illegal immigrant workers. Read More Here

When are people going to wake-up and realise what this government are doing to our country and what they are turning it into? It will be too late when it is *YOUR* mum, dad or grandparent or relative on the receiving end of this substandard treatment, or even you!

This is nothing short of an absolute disgrace, it is degrading abusive treatment of our elderly, brought to us by the government that gives millionaires an average of £100,000 tax break and paying for it are these people who are having their services cut.

This is the ugly face of capitalism free market, this is what privatisation does to our public services, this is what is now happening to our NHS and education services. This is what is now happening across the board in the NHS, social care, welfare etc taxpayers money being taken out of our public services and paid to shareholders and bosses.

The government are selling off our Public Services, NHS, Education, Police, Fire Service, Paramedics and above is the true cost of privatisation. The agencies that provide this care are milking off £250,000 in wages from the public purse, running around in plush Mercedes while their workers travel to their patients on buses etc and do not even get a travel allowance and elderly people are forced to have their breakfast while sitting on the toilet, it's that or nothing.  This is privatisation - Is it what you want?

This is why we need a Labour government back, this is why we desperately need the former Health Secretary Andy Burnham's National Care Service, and don't let this appalling hideous mongrel coalition government tell you any different!


No comments: