Many problems in social care in and around private sector centre around the failures of organisations to recruit and train staff appropriately. The dementia strategy is only one element of ensuring care is appropriate in both hospital and community settings, and that patients are treated with respect and the dignity they deserve. Not withstanding the fact that most of these services are purchased on behalf of either NHS scotland and local authorities and the majority of staff working in the care industry are often: (1) women (2) have unpaid caring commitments such as children or elderly relatives themselves (c) in poverty despite being in work (4) part time. Surely the large city councils in Scotland despite the squeeze on the public purse and NHS when commissioning should ensure that as part of the arms length approach to nursing and social care that staff are paid a living wage. This industry has large recruitment issues such as high turnover, and if companies paid the living wage it perhaps would go some way to address this and ensure adequate staffing with the appropriate knowledge and skills are employed. Most companies in the private sector do not recognise that the staff that are employed on basic salary despite giving up weekends and working unsocial hours with the only recognition of this fact being on 8 public holidays a year where staff are paid an unsocial hrs bonus and also a high number are on zero contracts.

Our hospitals in east lancashire are in special measures and yet are being forced to find £30 Million in savings, Despite underfunding being the cause of the Trust's failure.The ELHT, East Lancs Hospital Trust has a serious problem in recruiting and retaining top quality Doctors and Nurses. This trust is being deliberately run down and this could be your hospital trust next. Help stop it now.

Health and social care services are under huge pressure, largely due to our ageing population. Hospitals are struggling to balance their budgets and meet targets at a time of increasing demands, while social care is taking deep cuts and becoming a scandal-hit Cinderella service. If health and social care were integrated and more community services were developed, fewer old and vulnerable people would end up on trolleys in A & E or in hospital beds. The Government recognises this, but its Better Care Fund is taking money from hospital budgets to pay for these changes. All the main political parties agree health and care services need to be integrated. If integration is to function properly, it needs to be given sufficient funding to allow both sectors to work on equal terms to move relevant care services out of hospitals into the community. With proper investment and given time to work, the looming crisis in health and social care would be averted and we would all benefit from a fully integrated service.

Evidence has been produced indicating very clearly that Brand I.D. greatly encourages young people to start smoking and that habitual smokers are encouraged to continue by product brand identification

Cancer Research UK is holding a 'big weekend BBQ to beat cancer' - but unfortunately it's sponsored by Shell, a company responsible for BBQ-ing the planet, and for contributing towards some of the causes of cancer. There are plenty of companies in the UK who could sponsor Cancer UK's important work. But by partnering with a dirty energy company like Shell they are sending out a message that one of the world's biggest fossil fuel operations - which includes reckless plans to drill for oil in the fragile Arctic, and to carry on contributing to air pollution and climate change - is acceptable. Let's draw the line on Shell sponsoring Cancer Research UK - sign the petition! For more information on the event which Shell is sponsoring please read: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/support-us/do-your-own-fundraising/bbq To read the Cancer Research UK blog on air pollution please read: http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2013/10/18/the-link-between-air-pollution-and-cancer/ For more information on why Shell isn't an appropriate partner please read: http://platformlondon.org/oil-the-arts/ http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/tags/arctic http://www.shareaction.org/arcticshell

Numerous countries have now realised the benefits of this drug. They have taken it out of the drug barons hands an have organised it. They now have revenue and employment opportunities within this growing sector but the most important part is that it is saving lives. We need to forward think and not be bogged down with old ways of thinking regarding this wonder drug. It's the future of pharmacy.

Is life itself not important ? If so you need to vote for this

People who suffer from epilepsy and diabetes receive free prescriptions for life. Why not prescribe free medications for asthmatic people with severe asthma. Asthma can be a life threatening condition that has to be controlled daily, my father died aged just 45 from a severe asthma attack. Only two weeks ago a young boy died in the same way. It is evident this condition is as life threatening as diabetes and epilepsy, so why is it not treated in the same way?

Trans fatty acids (produced industrially as hydrogenated oils) are estimated to KILL 7,000 people in the UK every year. All responsible bodies in the UK, and many countries in europe and states of the USA have already banned them. Doctors, NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), and main articles in the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail all agree: there is no reason to have these in our food. Many supermarkets have also eliminated them - in their own brand products at least - including Sainsburys, Marks and Spencer, Waitrose, Tesco and the Co-op. But other food sources use them, with no required information to customers and no control over their use. The American Medical Association has stated that there is no safe limit. NICE has called for their ban. These fats have no food value, but increase LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce HDL (good) cholesterol, and even a 2% amount in the diet is reported to double the risk of coronary heart disease. There is no need for this junk in our food other than for the convenience of the food industry (it prolongs shelf life and is a cheap way of solidifying oil in fast foods). Recently Andrew Lansley has stated that the average UK citizen only consumes under 1% in the diet (though this is still a significant increase in risk), and voluntary codes of conduct are sufficient. The food manufacturers make an identical case. But the average is not the point: better off older people - customers of M&S, Waitrose, and other supermarkets - consume very little. But younger people who naturally use fast food outlets often consume considerably more than that average. They are in general unaware of the risks and, being young, sometimes don't think too much about what will happen in 20, 30 years. Older people have a duty to care on their behalf. One other point. Some supporters think such a ban is against the freedom of people to choose what they eat. But this is a poor argument at best. Trans fat was banned from Denmark 9 years ago, and there is no noticeable change in the taste or quality of food, nor any desire to reverse that change. This is such an easy policy change, and so absolutely beneficial. Just do it! References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1291041/They-kill-7-000-people-year-trans-fats-wont-banned.html http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/food-drink/why-are-toxic-trans-fats-in-food-still-legal-in-the-uk-28656231.html http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/07/fda-ban-trans-fats-health http://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/jan/18/trans-fats-ban-comment

Why should a resident of doncaster recieving treatment by doncaster nhs have to go to leeds nhs to qualify for funded treatment? This is creating all sorts of problems and issue for this lady she is 69 years old and as had a horrendous experience with her treatment as it is and to cap it all doncaster n.h.s. will not fund her home care. This is terrible and unfair. Sign this petition if you agree and want to do something about this.

We call upon the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to ensure that a dedicated Consultant/Clinic and medical support team for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia sufferers is set up in South East Wales. I request that this petition be treated as an official voice of M.E. sufferers, their families, carers and interested parties. Currently, sufferers of the above ailments are not being supported, with a few exceptions, by the medical profession. They are unable to work but the government bodies assessing them do not appear to understand their problems. This is the basis for this petition.

As I suffered Polio at the age of 2yrs back in 1953 I had no ideal that it would return and bite for a second time in later life, my Dr has not got a clue about it and I have given him leaflets etc telling him but all he says is do more walking, I wish that I could its not through lack of trying my one good leg is worn out and needs a new knee while my other shorter leg has no joint movement and lack of muscle owing to the Polio all them years ago,