No politicians looking at the crisis in care

I read last week’s care sector warning headline article with a sense of anger.

Like the volcano in La Palma, this issue has been bubbling under the surface for years.

However, whereas the volcanic eruption was unpredictable, the growing care crisis, negligently but persistently ignored by politicians, was entirely predictable and tragically inevitable.

I have been communicating with our local MP for over 40 years about the care sector.

I have a disabled daughter and hence a particular interest.

During my only face-to-face discussion with Theresa May, many years ago, I asked her why social services never featured in Westminster debates.

Her response, as I vividly recall and she has subsequently equally vehemently denied, was that it was the ‘hot potato’ that national politicians wanted to steer clear of, because it was so contentious that it was best left in the remit of local councils – in other words ‘too hot to handle’.

Whether my recollection or Theresa's of what was said is correct, it is undeniably the truth that while the problems of social care have inexorably and exponentially escalated, Westminster has wilfully turned a ‘blind eye’ to them.

My latest contact with Theresa May was when it was revealed that RBWM has the highest percentage of EU care workers in the country (32 per cent).

My question to her was what would now happen to the care sector as these carers left and replacements became impossible to find, given the Government’s clampdown on EU immigration?

As she is our local MP I thought it was an issue she should be addressing.

In fact I have always felt that care would be a good cause for her to champion nationally, and even shared this thought with her, unfortunately to no avail.