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Politicians put their profile ahead of the issues
Politicians put their profile ahead of the issues, says ECCA leader
1st November 2006
The leader of England's largest representative body for community care has accused politicians of being more concerned with producing soundbites that raise their own profile, than with tackling the real issues affecting the sector.
Martin Green, Chief Executive of the English Community Care Association (ECCA), singled out Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt, and Leader of the Opposition David Cameron for particular criticism, at a dinner in Birmingham organised by procurement and fulfilment company The Consortium.
"I get really irritated with Mrs Hewitt when she constantly pleads that she does not have room for manoeuvre when it comes to securing more money from the Treasury," said Mr Green.
"We in the care sector seem to suffer from a large amount of frantic pontification from politicians, without the levers being in place to do anything.
"The politicians in general seem to be very good at producing soundbites which are more about raising their profile than solving the problems in the care sector. For example, David Cameron's recent speech, in which he talked of 'grey ghettoes' and of too many care homes resembling a 'departure lounge, ' left an overriding impression of a fish gulping for the oxygen of publicity."
Brian Potter, Marketing and Sales Director of The Consortium, commented that responsibility for the problem lay in part with the care industry itself.
"The fact that the politicians are allowed to get away with some of these comments is actually a measure of the fact that we in the care sector are not countering them," he said.
"We have much to be proud of in terms of quality and professionalism, but the message is not getting through, particularly in regard to the national media."
Mr Green also accused care services minister Ivan Lewis of "jumping on the bandwagon" with his recent announcement of a national "dignity in care" campaign where there will "zero tolerance" of abuse and disrespect for older people.
"None of these initiatives seem to come with any understanding of how they will be implemented," commented Mr Green.