24th September, 2026

The Workers Party is calling for home care services to be brought back in-house as it is clear the private sector is unable to meet the needs of our most vulnerable service users. The Trust is now trying to get clients and their families to accept Direct Payments which in fact would make them the employer and have to contend with what is a very complex system totally unsuitable for elderly vulnerable services users.

The trust is failing those who wish to remain in their own homes by not delivering the level of services needed. Unmet need within the trust is understood to be running at about 50% this is totally unacceptable and the trust knows they need to bring the service back in-house but would seem to be reluctant to do so despite the many problems being created for other parts of the health care system.

Is this decision not to bring the services back to into the public sector political dogma or are they being instructed by the Department of Health not to do so? Either way service users and their families are being put under immense pressure because of the lack of home care packages. This did not happen by accident it happened by design and senior management are unwilling to admit they made a mistake by rushing to privatisation of home care and residential services. It is time to rectify those mistakes.