Debate contribution: Domiciliary Care Packages: Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Debate contribution by Mrs Pam Cameron on .
- MLA
- Mrs Pam Cameron
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 13 February 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- Domiciliary Care Packages: Northern Health and Social Care Trust
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4206585
Read the official Assembly record
Text
No, not as my South Antrim colleague. Not yet.
I am not quite ready to welcome Robin in that capacity to South Antrim. I am sure that you will forgive me for refraining from doing so. I also thank Ms Sheerin for securing a really important debate. We all agree that there is an incredible need to sort the issue out. Domiciliary carers are so valued, yet they are not, because it is not reflected in their wages and their terms and conditions of work. That has to be addressed, and I trust that the Minister will seriously look at that. There are obviously lots of other contributing factors to the whole issue. I do not want us to forget that we need to look at the entirety of the issues. That, I suggest, includes preventative measures to stop people getting to the front door of the hospital. I am thinking of GP services, investment in community pharmacy and all those things that might seem small but that are vital to keep people away from the hospital door. That is what we want. Of course, we need to get people out the back door of the hospital to allow the people who are acutely sick to enter the hospital. That is vital. We need to assist with that and to ensure that those who do not require acute care in hospital are able to leave and go home or to an appropriate setting that enables them to recover without taking up a space in the hospital that is not actually needed. We know that hospitals are not the best places for people who simply need to convalesce and should be at home, at a step-down facility, in a home or with relatives. We know that hospital is not an appropriate place for them. We want to see them going to the right place, and we really do need that to happen. I agree with all the comments that were echoed in the Chamber this afternoon. The lack of affordable childcare is a massive issue, particularly for women. Women tend to be the carers, whether it is for their babies and children after giving birth and while trying to manage work and juggle family life or whether it is for elderly parents and relatives. It tends to be a female workforce that does that, and it tends to be a female workforce that goes to do the domiciliary care work on the whole. Obviously, there will be males who are employed there as well, but it is vital that we support women to stay in the workplace. While we all agree that everybody wants to remain at home for as long as possible in their lifetime with the appropriate care, it is not always the best thing for them or for family members. We have to look at the bigger scenario and look at who may become the carers of the elderly people whom we love, and, quite often, we are taking healthcare professionals out of the workplace to care for our loved ones. It is a real conundrum, and a lot of effort will be needed across the board to solve the problems. We all have regular meetings with Jennifer Welsh from the Northern Trust, and we know how hard the trusts work to try to deal with the problem, but it is a huge problem, and they need proper resource to deal with it. We also have to recognise that the Northern Trust has a very high percentage of elderly people in its population, which puts a greater burden of care on to that trust. I am aware that I have used all my time, and I thank you, Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to squeeze in at the end. I wish the Minister well in addressing the problem.
640 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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