Care Workers

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Wednesday 5th November 2014 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I will certainly keep to that figure if I can, Mr Robertson. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Oxford East (Mr Smith) on bringing the matter to the House for our consideration. For us in Northern Ireland, the role of care workers is important, as it is across the whole United Kingdom. Every one of us will have personal knowledge from our constituents, and perhaps in some cases from a family point of view, of the good work that care workers do. As the spokesperson for health for the Democratic Unionist party here in Westminster, I am delighted to make a contribution.

There are a great many different kinds of care offered in the UK; a cross-section includes care homes and home care, which we probably all know about as individual MPs. There is also dementia care—we have to recognise that the population is growing older and that there are more cases of dementia and Alzheimer’s—palliative care and care for those with learning or physical disabilities, to name just a few. In the case of palliative care, Britain is the only country in the world where it is a recognised medical specialism with a full four-year training programme. We have the best palliative care in the world, and it is good to recognise that.

In a recent survey by The Economist, Britain was ranked first in the world for quality end-of-life care. The survey took in 40 OECD and non-OECD countries, including the USA, the Netherlands, Germany and France. When we are beating all those countries—many of us look across at them with some awe when we hear some stories about what they can do—and hearing that we are in the front line, that is something we can be proud of, as it is extremely important to provide the best possible care right through a person’s life, and particularly at the end of their life. I stand in awe of how care workers, of every kind, in every type of care, do their jobs. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to do those jobs—I am not sure whether I could do it, but I admire those who can and who do it well.

A variety of organisations throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland offer these vital services. The NHS is, of course, the main one, but Care UK is also one of the leading independent providers of health and social care services across the UK. For those who do not need to go into a respite or care home, home help is available and care workers can help in a number of ways, from domiciliary care to shopping, cooking and cleaning, and driving the person to and from community events.

[Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that there is sometimes a double whammy, in that the standard of care is put at risk because of the often condensed nature of a 15-minute visit, while that also puts stress and pressure on the care worker, because of the severe intensity of trying to ensure that they get there in time knowing that they have a very limited window? That is causing problems doubly, both for the carer and for those for whom they care.

[Jim Shannon]

I thank my hon. Friend and colleague for mentioning that. Every one of us will adhere to that and will have examples of that as well.

Care workers are responsible for looking after older people, including, as mentioned previously, the provision of dementia care and palliative care, and people with learning disabilities, in order to provide a full and independent life—it is important that we try to make their lives as normal as possible. My hon. Friend highlighted the issue of care workers rushing in for a 15-minute slot, in which they interact with the person verbally and help them physically, or whatever their duties may be. To do that and be out of the house in that time is, I would suggest, impossible.

Care workers also work alongside those with physical or mental health disabilities, as well as people who have acquired a brain injury and are working along the pathway to rehabilitation. On that matter, my brother Keith had a motorbike accident some 10 years ago. He had very serious brain injuries, but care workers gave him attention during their four visits a day. Without those care workers, it is clear that he would not be able to have a normal life at home—as much of a normal life as he could have—so again, everyone is aware of the work that care workers do and the difference that they make.

As was referred to earlier, dementia will affect one in six people over the age of 80. Some 750,000 people in the United Kingdom live with dementia, and having that disease does not always mean that someone goes to a care home. People can stay at home and have a good quality of life at home—that involves not only those who are at home, the family members, but those who call—and undoubtedly, that is due to the fantastic work and support of the care workers who enable men and women with the disease to enjoy an independent and rewarding lifestyle.

Hospice care can run for days, months or years. Most care is provided in people’s homes, but people also visit hospices for day therapy and stay as in-patients. Hospices provide expert care and support for 360,000 people—those are not just figures, they are people. They are individuals and their families, and that is a point I want to hit on as well. The care and support is based on the belief that everyone matters all the way through their life until the moment they die, and that no one should die in avoidable pain, suffering or emotional distress. Such care is very important, as Britain’s older population is set to rise sharply over the next few decades, with the number of people aged 85 and over expected to double in the next few years—some in this room may fit into that category, I suspect, and hope that they will have a good quality of life at that time as well.

Undoubtedly, the job of care workers is not an easy one, and we are deeply indebted to them—people have got to recognise that rather than miss it and not speak of it. However, in recent years, they have not always hit the headlines for the right reasons. Abuse is something that we take extremely seriously, but when we hear of it taking place in care and respite homes at the hands of care workers, who are employed to support and care for them, it is truly sickening. We have heard reports of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Earlier this year, BBC 1’s “Panorama” did a story on some homes where residents were physically beaten, verbally abused and left in their own excrement for hours.

A Government initiative in England was set up in 2000 called “No Secrets”, aiming to set out the ways in which workers were expected to treat patients with dignity, respect and compassion, as well as ensuring that health and social care services work together effectively. It was a great initiative back in 2000, but given what has come to light in recent months, I feel—perhaps the Minister can respond to this point—that much more needs to be done to ensure that what was set out in the “No Secrets” initiative at that time works better.

The majority of care workers do fantastic work. They do their jobs because they are passionate about helping those who are in less fortunate positions than themselves. However, as with every job, there are those who take advantage, and we have to ensure that vulnerable patients are well looked after and that no abuse takes place. We all recognise the great work that care workers do. They are undoubtedly overworked and do a phenomenal job, and for many people, they are the only contact that they have with the world outside their door.