MP meets Shropshire care company to discuss crucial issues including delayed discharges from hospital
A care company in Shropshire has held talks with a county MP to discuss crucial issues.
North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan went to the Oswestry office of in-home care provider, Visiting Angels to find out about issues including bed blocking and delayed hospital releases which are causing big delays in ambulance handover times.
“It was a privilege to spend time with the Visiting Angels team and learn more about the challenges care providers face in North Shropshire,” said Ms Morgan.
“Carers do fantastic work every day of the year and deserve to be celebrated. We all want our loved ones to be looked after in times of need and yet carers are often not appreciated enough.
"I’m grateful to the staff in Oswestry for giving up their time to meet with me and I’m looking forward to banging the drum for carers in Parliament when it sits again from September.”
Directors of Visiting Angels North Shropshire, Nicky Sealey and Mark Goodall want to take an active role in positively reforming care provision in the area.
They say they want to address other sector wide issues such as poor pay terms and heightening the wellbeing of staff and talked about those with the MP.
The company says its ultimate aim is to eliminate issues surrounding bed blocking and delayed hospital releases and they say they are taking an active lead in positively reforming the industry for both care staff and those in need.
Director Nicky said: “It was important to us that we took this opportunity to discuss pay and how our Angels – as well as in-home carers everywhere - should be recognised as care professionals, as we’re also front-line staff but often without the recognition of those in the NHS.
“It was great to be able provide details on Visiting Angels’ ‘carer-centric’ approach and what this entails as we look after our team and how they go about their daily roles.
"Visiting Angels is providing a free vehicle check and valet to take some of the pressure off our carers.
"However, despite our best efforts in financially supporting our Angels, the fuel and cost-of-living crisis have had an impact and some of our team is struggling financially due to childcare and the cost of running their cars.”
Through both financial rewards and opportunities for career development, the company says it has been able to make team members feel the value and respect that they deserve. The firm's 15 carers now deliver 300 hours of care every week, caring for 25 clients across Oswestry and the surrounding areas.
