PLUG NHS FUNDS DEFICIT
IN response to new winter figures published by NHS England, which show an increase in bed occupancy rates and ambulance delays, these figures paint a clear picture of just how congested and overstretched the system is, and is further evidence that pressure on the NHS continues to intensify.
The winter months have always have been more of a challenge for the NHS, but in recent years the pressure on staff and services has reached new levels with patients unfairly bearing the brunt of long waiting times and cancellations.
We urgently need more long-term planning to ensure the NHS can meet rising demand on services and has the capacity to deal with the inevitable spike in demand each winter.
Funding is a critical part of this, given that the NHS receives about £10billion less annually compared to other leading EU countries.
This is why we are calling on the Government to plug this funding deficit, with investment that would deliver the extra beds, staff and services which are badly needed. Christmas will check who the youngsters are communicating with online.
While more than 80% of those who had bought or planned to buy an internet connected gift for a child said they were aware that strangers could contact and connect with the child through them, just 55% said they would monitor who the youngsters were talking to.
Almost 10% of those surveyed intended to buy an internet connected gift for a child this Christmas, meaning as many as four million such devices, including iPhones and tablets, were given to youngsters this year, with more than half bought for a child aged 10 or under.
However, only six in 10 adults who bought these gifts for children will activate the maximum privacy settings designed to help keep children safe when they are online.
The results make clear a gulf between the public’s appreciation of the potential risks posed to children by the internet and the action they should take to reduce them.
Barnardo’s has long been calling to make the internet safer and for parents to be more aware of mobile technology children are using and who they’re talking to online.
Our concern is that the digital revolution is enabling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and young people via the internet and mobile devices.
We understand how vital the online world is to children, but also how the ● risks can damage their childhood.
Last year, Barnardo’s supported almost 3,500 people nationally through its child sexual exploitation support services, an increase of 38% on the previous year.
Internet connected devices like tablets and iPhones can also come in the guise of harmless dolls or teddies and potentially allow strangers to pinpoint your address, obtain your child’s name and birthday, download their photograph and even listen in on conversations.
We are not saying ‘don’t allow your children to enjoy these toys or devices’, but we are urging parents and relatives to ensure their children are as safe as possible by ensuring privacy settings are at maximum and that they monitor who their child is communicating with.