The Real Cost Of Quality Care - UNISON Response, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 09 Nov 2009 - 3:00 PST

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UNISON, the union representing 300,000 social care workers, today (9 November) called on the Government to sit up and take notice of a new report*, showing that quality care depends on quality staff. The union is calling for the narrow focus on cash for care for the elderly to switch to how best to provide quality care?

Helga Pile, UNISON National Officer for Social Care Workers, said:

"The quality of life for older and disabled people needing care depends absolutely on the quality of staff who work with them. At the moment care runs on low pay and high staff turnover and that means the quality of care and the people needing it suffer.

"The current political debate is hung up on different ways of getting people to pay for their care in the future. But any new funding settlement must address the need to pay care workers more and train them better, so that our older people can live with the dignity and security they deserve."

*"The real cost of quality care and support" - The National Care Forum

Source
UNISON