YP Letters: Where are winter funds for social care?

From: Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive, Care England.
When will there be a joined up health and social care policy?When will there be a joined up health and social care policy?
When will there be a joined up health and social care policy?

WHILE we welcome the Government’s announcement to boost the NHS’s resilience to cope with the inevitable pressures this forthcoming winter, it is futile if the social care sector is overlooked. Every winter we see the NHS receive new funding while social care does not.

The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that hospitals would receive £145m to prepare for winter demand. The money will be spent on upgrading wards, redeveloping A&Es and extra beds at NHS trusts across England.

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We hope, however, that the NHS will ensure that it works with the independent care sector to use existing spare capacity in care homes. The DHSC needs to demonstrate its understanding of the system, or revert to being the Department of Health and dispense with the social care.

Gratitude to 999 crews

From: Arthur and Kath Thompson, Bramley, Leeds.

WE would like to send our grateful thanks to ambulance staff. We have recently needed to go to hospital on three different occasions.

My husband was taken poorly and was rushed into Leeds General Infirmary. Thankfully he was attended to quickly. The second time he was treated with every care and was soon back at home. The third time, the ambulance came at 3am. The staff were marvellous.

Thankfully we have kept well since. We are in our 80s so we’re very glad to have been looked after so well.

Failure to back business

From: Roger Backhouse, Upper Poppleton, York.

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YOUR front page story about banks failing to lend sufficiently to small and medium-sized businesses makes shocking reading (The Yorkshire Post, September 15). Following the financial crash 10 years ago, bank bailouts were supposed to kickstart the economy by promoting business growth.

Instead banks preferred to lend for property, fuelling house price inflation and hitting first-time buyers. The real engines of the economy, small and medium companies, have suffered from inadequate investment.

Sadly, George Osborne, when Chancellor, was happy to see this happen, believing that rising house prices would create an illusion of economic growth. He could have insisted banks lent to help business but he didn’t.

Policies since have contributed to a slow recovery and low productivity growth. It is a national disgrace (Kevin Hollinrake, The Yorkshire Post, September 17).

Independence is priceless

From: Paul Morley, Long Preston, Skipton.

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YET another Remainer (The Yorkshire Post, September 18) accuses me and millions of Leave voters of being misguided.

We knew what we were voting for – our country back. But my question is this. Should there be a second vote, and if common sense prevails and leaving the EU is still the majority decision, will they finally shut up and let those of us with this country’s best interests at heart get on with leaving the EU?

From: Brian Pitts, Silcoates Lane, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield.

LAST Sunday, our grandson came over to us with his mum and dad for some lunch. While playing with his toys he noticed The Yorkshire Post’s Saturday cartoon “Tory Tug of War”, and exclaimed “who are those two jokers” – in reference to Theresa May and Boris Johnson (The Yorkhire Post, September 15). He will be three in October. Says it all really.

Keep your distance

From: Amanda Stretton, Motoring Editor, Confused.com.

HAVING spent time out on the road with the police, I was shocked to see just how many drivers were tailgating at high speeds. It was clear that many are unaware that this type of driving malpractice is illegal and can lead to devastating accidents.

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Our research showed 79 per cent of drivers didn’t even know the correct distance to leave between their car and the car in front. Motorists should always use the two second rule whereby a driver stays at least two seconds behind any vehicle in front.

Drivers who feel themselves under pressure with an aggressive driver close behind should remain calm and focused on the road ahead.

Gateway to the world

From: Stewart Arnold, Leader, The Yorkshire Party.

IT is good to read how highly Chinese visitors and investors rate Yorkshire. What a shame though that we don’t have an airport which can act as an international gateway for travellers from China. It does seem a pity they are routed through either Manchester or Heathrow. Are Yorkshire’s airports ready to step up?

Higher degree of gridlock

From: Andrew Mercer, Guiseley.

IT’S always striking how Leeds grinds to even more of a halt when the new academic year begins at the city’s two universities. Do so many of their staff and undergraduates really need to be so dependent on a car? Or is this a sad indictment of public transport in Leeds?

There was me thinking that students were struggling to afford tuition fees...