Stephen Morgan MP has pledged to help fix the broken care system during a visit to the local Carers Centre as Carers Week reaches a close.
Based in Southsea, the Carers Centre assists all carers in Portsmouth, offering a range of information and advice, as well as support to have a break or just to lend a listening ear.
The Portsmouth MP was visiting the centre to listen about the centre’s plan on Covid recovery, plans to improve some of the meeting space they have for carers and how they are thanking carers for all they have done during the pandemic and beyond.
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. This year’s theme is ‘Visible and Valued’.
Carers UK estimate that carers save the UK economy £132 billion a year, roughly equivalent to the annual cost of the NHS. It is also believed there were 9.1 million unpaid carers across the UK before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 4.5 million new to caring since the start of the pandemic.
The 2011 census found that there were 17-18,000 carers in Portsmouth, but it is now believed to be much higher.
The Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan, said,
“This Carers Week it’s important we recognise and thank our carers for the incredible work they do.
“It was really great to be back at the Carers Centre to learn about its latest plans to support our carers and thank them for their efforts over this past year.
“I will continue to speak up for the thousands of people providing unpaid care in Portsmouth and across Britain, and push Government to urgently fix our social care system as we emerge from the pandemic.”
Mr Morgan lobbied the Prime Minister sharing the concerns of his constituents, including Portsmouth Pensioners Association, about the level of social care provision in the city.
He has also held a public meeting with Shadow Health Minister Liz Kendall MP to discuss issues related to mental health and social care, regularly submitted a range of written parliamentary questions on the issue and backed Labour’s National Care Service plans.
