Latest news with #socialcare
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Britain swelters in 30C heatwave before hottest day of year, in photos
An amber heat-health alert has been issued for all regions in England as the UK could record a new high for the warmest day of the year on Thursday. Eastern parts of Wales, the Midlands and the south-east of England could reach 30C, which would break the current record for 2025 of 29.4C set days ago in Santon Downham in Suffolk. UV and pollen levels are also expected to climb alongside temperatures. The amber alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency is in force from 12pm on Thursday until 9am on Monday. It warns 'significant impacts are likely' across health and social care services because of high temperatures, including a rise in deaths – particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions. An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Climate
- Telegraph
‘Risk of death' warning issued for 30C heat
An amber health alert has been issued across all of England with temperatures expected to rise above 30C. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warns 'significant impacts are likely' across health and social care services because of high temperatures. This includes a rise in deaths - particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions. The alert, covering all regions of England, comes into force at 12pm on Thursday and lasts until 9am on Monday. Temperatures could reach 32C on Thursday, which would be the hottest day of the year so far. Just how high will temperatures get? 🌡️ Here's a look at when the peak temperatures may occur where you are over the next few days 📈 — Met Office (@metoffice) June 18, 2025
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Wiltshire Council's care for vulnerable adults behind £5m overspend
"Inconsistencies" in the social care department has resulted in a council spending nearly £5m more than it planned last Council's final review of financial year 2024/5 recorded an £4.85m overspend, which is largely down to unforeseen demands of "adult services where people's needs are increasingly complex".Former Conservative leader, councillor Richard Clewer, said he had "become increasingly concerned" that officers in adult social care had "repeatedly" called this issue a "one-off". He also queried why the numbers were "jumping all over the place" and no one seemed able to explain why."Something's clearly gone very badly wrong inside adult social care," he added. At an extraordinary meeting on 24 June, cabinet members will be asked to approve the use of earmarked reserves which, if agreed, will ensure the legally required balanced budget for the 1% of the total revenue budget, the 2024/25 overspend is above what the authority is used "the underlying financial position of Wiltshire is hugely better than the vast majority of our surrounding councils," councillor Gavin Grant, cabinet member for finance, costs of placing vulnerable children in care has also contributed to the overspend, the council said. The authority's latest analysis found "inconsistencies" in its own data of how adult care costs are being managed. Councillor Grant said to address the overspend, the council "will take decisive action" and using reserves "is not a long-term effective solution, but they are in place for this very reason"."We are working closely with officers to look at how we best overcome the social care cost challenges while not putting our financial sustainability at risk. "This will include ensuring our contracts are as efficient as possible, meaning people get the quality of care and support they need but at less cost to the council," he council plans to establish a new financial scrutiny committee so other councillors can assess the books in public later this year.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Fury as Labour drops cross-party talks to fix social care crisis
Cross-party talks to solve the long-term crisis in social care funding have quietly been abandoned, The Telegraph can disclose. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, repeatedly stressed the importance of working with political rivals to secure consensus when he launched a review into the area in January. Failure to get cross-party backing for whatever fix Labour eventually outlines could undercut the chance of it ever being implemented, potentially prolonging the funding crisis for families across the country. A gathering with health representatives from opposition political parties had been scheduled in February but was postponed at late notice. Now it can be revealed that Baroness Casey, the Whitehall fixer tasked with leading the social care review, has scrapped plans for group cross-party talks on the issue. Instead, she has written to opposition political parties and asked them to meet her one-on-one rather than together to discuss the challenges in social care. The approach is markedly different from the one Mr Streeting publicly touted at the start of the year and has led to accusations of walking back past promises. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are now demanding the cross-party talks are reinstated, warning there is the 'risk of missing the real opportunity'. Labour is already facing criticism over delays to tackle the social care crisis, which sees families facing soaring costs for elderly loved ones with little help from the state. The party fell short of a promise to spell out their solution to the challenges in its election manifesto last year and then ditched the Tory policy of a social care costs cap. Mr Steering has tasked Baroness Casey with a two-part review but proposals for a long-term solution will not come until 2028 and the peer is still stuck doing a different grooming review. When Mr Streeting announced the review in early January the press release repeatedly stressed the importance of building a 'cross-party consensus' on social care reform. Mr Streeting said in an interview at the time: 'We will have cross-party talks next month. And I'm really encouraged by the fact that since the election, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Reform have all said that they want to work across-party on this, and those talks will begin next month.' Edward Argar, the Tory shadow health secretary, said: 'The decision by the Health and Social Care Secretary to scrap the cross-party talks he'd promised, and switch to an independent commission, holding individual conversations with parties runs the risk of missing the real opportunity to make the cross-party progress this issue needs, and the British people deserve.' Rachel Reeves 's spending review allocated £4 billion extra to adult social care in 2028 compared to 2023, but councils have warned a long-term fix is needed. A spokesman for the Casey Review indicated that the cross-party talks could be revived at a future date but gave no specifics. They said: 'Baroness Casey has made initial contact with political parties and looks forward to working with them. 'She intends to initially meet party spokespeople individually to understand each party's position. She will bring colleagues from across the political divide together in due course.' A Health Department spokesman said: 'Baroness Casey's independent commission into adult social care, which started in April, will start a national conversation, build cross-party consensus and provide recommendations for a social care system that is fair and affordable for all. 'As the commission is independent, Baroness Casey and her team are taking forward arranging discussions with political parties.'
Times
5 days ago
- Times
Broken Britain? No way. My real story tells you why we'll all be OK
B ritain's broken, haven't you heard? Nothing works, everything's late and it's all overpriced. Healthcare's busted, social care's on its knees, the streets are full of phone-snatchers, grooming gangs and racists, and everyone else has retreated into their digital silos, spewing hate and refusing to meet their neighbour eye to eye or heart to heart. Well I disagree. And mainly because of my phone. Backstory. Last week I'm whizzing into work on my motorbike, somewhere beyond Swindon, on the M4, in the fast lane, doing exactly the legal limit of 70mph (wink wink) when suddenly my phone, which is secured to my handlebars by a (clearly faulty) mount, breaks free, flips up into the air and whizzes past my head, backwards and into top speed, rush hour oblivion.
