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FUNDING FOR
ELDERLY CARE IS TINKERING AROUND THE EDGES
THE country needs a
national care service that ensure entitlement to care is based on
need not wealth, and for the amounts we pay for a week's care for
care home residents to be sufficient to ensure decent standards,
quality and dignity
GMB, the union for care workers, responded to Government proposals
on paying for care of the elderly.
Justin Bowden GMB National Officer for the care sector said:-
"The government is tinkering around the edges with changes that are
too little, too late and too vague."
The country needs a national care service, paid for out of taxation
that ensure entitlement to care is based on need not wealth, and for
the amounts we pay for a week's care for care home residents to be
sufficient to ensure decent standards, quality and dignity.
These are the reasons the government proposals on social care do
nothing to avert the funding crisis and what should be done:-
1. What government has proposed
today falls far short of Dilnot recommendations
2. It only covers care costs not residential costs
3. Home care plus meals on wheels costs about £20,000 per annum
4. Residential care home accommodation and meals average £25,000 per
annum with medical costs on top
5. The elderly care system is about £1bn per annum underfunded and
this is expected to grow.
6. Implementing Dilnot in full and funding local authorities to
cover the £1bn growing gap would cost £2-5bn.
7 We need a new funding stream and the fragile care home sector
needs to be integrated with the local authorities who provide the
funding and the communities they serve in new not-for-profit 'community
mutual's'.
Public meeting
for Botanic museum future
MEMBERS of the public are
invited to an Open Meeting of the Botanic Gardens Community
Association, in the Parochial Hall, Churchtown, on Thursday,
February 28, commencing at 7pm. At this public meeting people will
be advised who and what the society is, what the steering group has
done and plan to do. The meeting will include displays about the
Botanic Gardens.
The interim publicity officer for the society, Geoff Wright said:-
"From its inception the society has grown as a result of a
Public Meeting in December 2011, but now we need as many people as
possible at this meeting so we can explain how we plan to get the
Botanic Gardens Museum building functioning again, and how members
of the public can get involved and help the initiative to move
forward. All are welcome."
Chief Coastguard Commendation for
Meritorious Service
ON Friday, 8 February 2013, 5 members of the watch at Liverpool
Coastguard who were on duty for the grounding on the MV
Riverdance on the
evening of 31 January 2008 were awarded the Chief Coastguards
Commendation for Meritorious Service. The citation reads, for their
part in the rescue of 23 crew and passengers from the stricken
ferry, MV
Riverdance on 31 January
2008. During the evening of 31 January 2008, the Coastguard Maritime
Rescue Co-Ordination centre at Liverpool received a call from the MV
Riverdance on passage from
Warren point to Heysham stating that she had developed a list in
heavy seas following a shift in cargo. The Coastguard assesses the
situation and advised the master of the vessel to evacuate all non
essential personnel and passengers given the worsening weather
conditions. However, prior to arrival on scene of airborne rescue
recourses the situation changed dramatically with the stricken
vessel developing a 60 Degree list and in consultation with the
master, the Coastguard ordered the evacuation of all passengers and
crew. With deteriorating weather and the sea conditions, and the
situation on board the vessel worsening, the Coastguard developed a
flexible plan in order to affect the rescue and with calmness,
continued re assurance to the vessel and considerable skill they
co-ordinated the successful rescue and evacuation of all passengers
and crew by RAF Rescue
Helicopter. The determination,
professionalism and expertise demonstrated by Liverpool Coastguard
operators throughout this incident were exemplary and upheld the
finest traditions of Her Majesty's Coastguard. |
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Liverpool
businesses should take action to prepare for higher water bills
BUSINESS water bills are
expected to rise following an announcement by UK water regulator
Ofwat that household bills will increase by an average 3.5% from
April 2013.
United Utilities in the North West has announced a 3.4% increase in
charges. Ofwat says that the additional money is required for £25
billion of new investment in the water network.
"It is inevitable that business tariffs will also increase",
said Cedric Rodrigues, Managing Director of CMR Consultants
www.cmrgroup.co.uk. "It is important that
businesses review their water costs and reduce consumption now - to
counter the impact of the anticipated jump in prices and the
likelihood of continuing year-on-year increases. This is crucial for
companies using water intense processes, such as manufacturers."
The water consultancy forecasts that by 2016, business water bills
will be an average 50% higher than they were in 2008. This is based
on an assumption that the average price increases of the past five
years will continue and that inflation will rise after 2015.
Rodrigues continued:- "Because business customers in England
and Wales currently have little choice of water supplier, many feel
powerless to reduce costs. But savings can be made on all aspects of
the charges raised, which include areas such as water use
efficiency, reduction of costs for wastewater and surface water
discharges, environmental impact reduction and correction of billing
errors."
To reduce water bills, CMR Consultants recommends a three step
approach that can achieve typical savings of 20% to 30% or more.
Stage 1 – Tariff review & optimisation
► Monitor water costs carefully to improve efficiency and
be sure you are paying the correct level of charges.
► Examine previous water bills and check for overcharges.
► Check your meter is the right size to optimise efficiency and
costs.
Stage 2 – Water efficiency audit to
identify immediate opportunities to reduce usage
► Check for leaks across your site.
► Identify ways to recycle water where possible, for example
collecting and reusing rainwater.
Stage 3 – Investment in technologies to
minimise future increases
► Pre-treat trade effluent discharge before it goes into
the sewer.
► Install water reduction savings devices and more efficient
equipment.
► Use natural groundwater sources, for example boreholes.
CMR Consultants is a leading energy, carbon and water consultancy.
The company works with organisations to improve water efficiency and
reduce costs, having delivered thousands of pounds worth of savings
using a fee or performance based approach.
CMR Consultants' water cost auditing service highlights and
rectifies historic overcharges and billing errors. The company can
also provide specialist consultancy to reduce water consumption,
such as advising on water management and leak detection, as well as
sundry items such as surface water drainage, meter sizes and
environmental compliance. |
