Council criticised over stand-in nurses

Aug 30 2006 By Emma Cullwick, Birmingham Mail

COUNCIL bosses have been accused of "pouring cash down the drain" by hiring agency nurses to care for the housebound.

Coun Betty Passingham (Lab, Redditch) said she feared money was being wasted, and expressed concern about the standard of some agency carers used by Worcestershire County Council.

She spoke out after being drafted on to a panel which will probe home help services provided by the county.

"I have heard cases of nurses not turning up at the right times or putting housebound people to bed ridiculously early," she said.

"I would imagine it would make much more economical sense to use in-house staff."

Coun Passingham added: "The scrutiny group is in its early days, but my main concern is how much money it is costing to hire staff from private agencies to carry out this work."

Coun Peter Pinfield, leader of the panel, said the probe would help shape the future of home care services in the county.

"This is an area which affects a lot of people in Worcestershire, and these residents are often very vulnerable."

Coun Pinfield (Lab, Droitwich Town) added: "By looking at the issue of home care we can start to plan for the future. But we can only understand the subject if as many people as possible share their experiences with us, good or bad."

The task group's final report will be drafted by December and presented to county council bosses in the New Year. Any new policies are likely to come into effect in 2009.

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