Day: 14 October 2020

Dear Mr. Young, I have been made aware of your intention to expose the appalling situations within the care industry as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. I am myself a health care assistant (HCA) who works for an agency providing staff within several care settings in the North-West and, during the initial outbreak, had a permanent contract with a care home for whom I no longer work. If possible I would like to remain anonymous for both my personal and professional protection, but will endeavour to assist you as much as possible in exposing the shocking mistreatment of our most vulnerable members of society. I have worked in the care industry for nine years, first as a student nurse then six years as an HCA, and I’d like to give you a little insight into my job role so you can best understand the nature of my position and that of those I support. In my role as an agency carer I tend to exclusively work on a ‘one to one’ basis within care homes. This generally entails working with mentally ill people who require extra support during the day due to challenging/violent behaviour, high anxiety or because they have a high risk of falling. I work with them exclusively to maintain their safety and well-being. In my previous ...

Labour Calls For National Lockdown When Labour leader Keir Starmer last week questioned whether local lockdowns were working because 19 out of 20 had failed to reduce cases we should have guessed it was the local bit he was taking issue with, not the lockdown. Tory lockdown rebels heroes had been wondering out loud why Labour kept criticising the Government's measures but then supporting them or abstaining, and now they know. It's because they think they don't go far enough. Unhappy northern Labour council leaders likewise are not complaining about their areas being locked down per se. They're complaining about being singled out and treated differently, and about the level of financial support. Many would be happy with another national lockdown with generous handouts. So Keir makes his move. Seeing the opportunity to outflank the Government by siding with the SAGE scientists (who, it emerged on Monday, called for a national 'circuit breaker' lockdown on September 21st) and with public opinion (which continues to favour stronger restrictions, though by a shrinking margin, and often not so much in practice), the Labour leader has come out in favour of a two week lockdown. The plan is backed by Graham Medley from SAGE and Matt Keeling from the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPIM), who claim in modelling to be published later today ...