THE Holyrood opposition parties blaming the SNP exclusively for the deaths in care homes is absolutely pathetic. I’m not saying the Government didn’t make mistakes, but to me having worked in social work the penny-pinching, privately owned homes are clearly the main cause.
Poorly paid, poorly trained staff, insufficient staffing levels, etc, all designed to maximise profits, are the real culprits. The owners, the companies, thinking more of making a quick buck out of the elderly’s vulnerability, should be held to account. But of course with an election on the horizon the opposition parties conveniently forget the private sector’s role in the premature death of those in their care.
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Previous Westminster governments (eg, Thatcher’s) cutback strategies pushed local governments into making painful money-saving decisions, and relinquishing the running of local authorities homes was one! The homes in turn were quickly picked up by so-called entrepreneurs with limited knowledge of the care sector, and now we see the sad outcome. Don’t blame Nicola, Blame the Tories!
Robin MacLean
Fort Augustus
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