December 3: Joined-up approach of merging the NHS and social care

FOR the sake of all the older, frail and vulnerable people who live in Yorkshire, it is to be hoped that local authorities will take the opportunity to raise council tax by the newly-allowed two per cent to aid social care (The Yorkshire Post, November 26). Nobody wants council tax bills to rise, particularly here in the north of England which has suffered badly during the economic crisis.

But in its Spending Review this week, the Government deftly avoided putting any fresh money into care provided in care homes, day care centres and in people’s own homes. Instead it gave councils the option to add two per cent to council tax bills to raise money locally. Even if all councils take up the option, this is unlikely to raise enough money to avert an impending crisis in social care.

But while this isn’t ideal, and is in no way a permanent solution, it is all we have and for the sake of vulnerable people in their care we have to hope local councils do respond.

It is time for the Government to merge NHS and social care into one body once and for all, so that social care gets equal status and its proper share of funding and the country gets joined up thinking on vital healthcare services for everyone.

From: Coun Tim Mickleburgh (Lab), Grimsby.

JAYNE Dowle writes of the difficulties people have in getting through to their GP (The Yorkshire Post, November 30). Well my practise in Grimsby, the Birkwood Surgery, doesn’t seem to have this problem.

For only last week I wanted to see a GP because of wondering how I’d been affected by a recent fall, especially as I suffer from osteoporosis.

I rang at just before 10am, and was given a doctor’s appointment the same day. That wasn’t a one-off situation either, as earlier in the year I’d been seen even earlier, albeit by a nurse.

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

WHAT a good idea from Clive Walton (The Yorkshire Post, November 27) for hospitals to take over hotels to take care of the “bed blockers” who are medically fit to go home but have no-one to care for them. In the good old days we had convalescent homes that catered for such patients.

Why were they abandoned? They must have been cheaper to run and staff than an acute hospital bed.