Prime Minister Theresa May speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show this week told the public it was up to individual councils whether – or not – they raised extra funds by increasing council tax! She said there were many areas in the country where there was, non or only limited delayed discharges from hospitals(bed blocking) therefore those authorities did not need to levy an extra charge. Now called the ~”Social Care Precept.”
She also said there are 24 councils that account for 50% of DD’s into social care – now… was she referring to Stockbroker Belt Surrey? Because if she was, let’s all ask ourselves WHY?
Because our stupid county council, due to years of neglect, failed to ensure our residential care homes were kept in good nick, and when inspections ruled them “unfit for purpose” closed them down. Those old people were pushed into local private care homes, often far away from family and friends so went down the slippery slope to…. A & E departments.
Borough councils like “Your Waverley” stopped or cut the provision of Warden assisted sheltered accommodation, so further down that slippery slope our elderly slid, Meals on Wheels funding removed and so the miserable saga continues…
-Charitable organisations in and around the county are closing their doors to the disabled and the elderly – Age Uk’s are, or have, closed in Runnymede & Spelthorne, and Waverley. Will Age UK Surrey now pick up the troubles in their old kit bag for the whole of the County’s elderly?…
… Because if you try getting through on their telephone line, you could grow old in the attempt we hear from our readers!
If this is the dire situation in stockbroker belt and leafy Surrey what possible hope is there for Blackburn, or Bolton or the Welsh Valley folk? Because a large proportion of Surrey citizens pay huge private health insurance, and fund their own nursing care. Some even fund/top up the private care of their parents and take GREAT EXCEPTION to subsidising the care of local authority residents ‘though they don’t dare to voice it!
So Surrey and Waverley Councils you are now stuck between a great big rock and a hard place – so man up and recognise your past failures and bring back some of the accommodation and services that once enabled people to remain independent in their own homes!
And… don’t be surprised if the public – many of whom are already funding their elderly parents. And family’s care and help their young with the extra cash that is now being called for the pupils of by Surrey’s schools for their children/grandchildren- if they turn around and flatly refuse to pay an extra 15% council tax.
Why? Because frankly they don’t trust you with their money based on past experience including here in Farnham where you are investing £30m in a toxic redevelopment scheme that has become a legal and political nightmare!
so … perhaps Theresa you could tell Surrey County Council to follow your example. You get paid £142,500 for running the country and running around the world – Surrey’s CEO David McNulty gets £216, 242 + a £4,000 allowance and most of us around here have never seen him or heard him – except one of our fellow bloggers wrote to him once – but never received a reply!