With the National Health Service under intense financial pressure, leading healthcare directors and academics debate over whether access to medical care should depend on personal lifestyle choices.
TONIGHT – Monday, 12th of October, the Edinburgh Union will host its next debate of the term on one of Britain’s most urgent healthcare and ethical questions with the motion: This House Would Prioritise NHS Patients With Healthy Lifestyles.
Under increasing financial strain, the National Health Service faces pressure concerning resource allocation. The proposition that patients should take accountability for their health, such as losing weight or quitting smoking, has raised concerns over medical ethics.
However, the widening gaps in health outcomes and equality make the question of healthcare rationing and patient responsibility more urgent than ever.
The debate brings together a panel of healthcare leaders and academic experts.
Arguing for the proposition to prioritise patients with healthy lifestyles is Dr Shaun O’Connell, Former Joint Medical Director at the Vale of York CCG, who implemented a controversial 2016 policy asking obese patients and smokers to lose weight or quit cigarettes at the risk of delays to routine operations.
On the opposition, he will face Jonathan Pugh, Deputy Director of the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford, and Richard Cookson Professor for the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York.
This event will take place in Rainy Hall at New College, with doors opening at 6:30 pm and the debate commencing at 7 pm. Continuing with Edinburgh Union tradition, audience members will have the opportunity to challenge guest speakers and deliver speeches during the debate.
Euan Morgan, President of the Edinburgh Union, said:“The question of NHS resource allocation is central to the future of the United Kingdom’s healthcare system.
“By bringing the architect of one of the UK’s most controversial health policies face-to-face with medical ethicists, we are providing the rigorous debate the Edinburgh Union was built for.
“We are pleased to offer students the floor to challenge these experts in order to engage with a policy issue that impacts every citizen.”
New research conducted by Carers Trust and policy and research consultancy Public First predicts a shortfall of up to ONE MILLION unpaid carers within a generation.
The expected shortfall is calculated from new projections that draw on current trends and future forecasts. It highlights how intense demand for care from an ageing society is set to outstrip the supply of care available unpaid, from family members and friends at an ever-increasing rate over the next two decades.
The shortfall is the difference between the projected ‘demand’ for carers based on the rising number of people with care needs (7.8 million carers needed by 2050) and the ‘supply’ of carers based on the profile of people who care today (6.7 million carers available by 2050).
Under this projection, the number of people able to provide unpaid care will fail to keep pace with ever-greater need, while paid social care – including care homes and home care – will not expand in line with need. this leads to a shortfall of 600,000 unpaid carers by 2035, and an even more alarming one of one million by 2050.
Such a shortfall would have a crippling impact on the provision of care across the UK: a greater number of people would be left with unmet care needs; overall capacity to provide care would be further stretched; and more families and friends would need to step in to fill gaps – from providing sporadic hours of care to caring for multiple people at once.
These changes would have a potentially devastating knock-on effect on unpaid carers’ wellbeing, employment, and the economy.
With care pressures expected to increase across the board in coming years, the research also found that:
10.3m people will need care by 2050, up from 8.4m in 2025
1.2m unpaid carers already provide care hours that equate to a full-time job
1.6m unpaid carers will be in poverty by 2035, rising to over 2m by 2050
The research predicts that the number of people in need of care will have soared by almost two million between 2025 and 2050. Over the same period, without action, the supply of both paid and unpaid care will grow at a much slower rate, thereby failing to keep pace.
These changes are already taking place in society. Over the last 10 years the supply of carers has not increased with rising need, and the average burden on each carer has increased. In the absence of action, the rate at which the gap opening up between supply and demand for care will only quicken over time.
The research comes at a time when Baroness Casey is running her ‘Big Conversation’ amongst the public into the future of social care and follows the announcement by the Prime Minister that he will use what ‘political capital he has’ to reform the system.
Louise Casey has already identified that the work of unpaid carers is one of the main reasons the system continues to function. This research shows that, if nothing changes, this will cease to be the case, with knock on effects on the NHS, public services and the economy.
Carers Trust, as the largest UK charity supporting unpaid carers through its network of 130 local services, is also highlighting the impact on unpaid carers of the current levels of care they are undertaking:
Fewer than three in ten unpaid carers providing care for more than 35 hours a week are in paid work.
Mental and physical health outcomes are consistently worse for unpaid carers than for non-carers.
Unpaid carers are more likely to live in poverty than the broader population, with living conditions worst for those with the most intense caring roles.
Around three in five people in the UK will become carers at some point in their lives. This can happen overnight, often through circumstances that are impossible to predict or plan, such as a family member being diagnosed with a long-term illness or the birth of a child with a disability.
Kirsty McHugh, Chief Executive of Carers Trust, said:“Almost all of us will either care for a loved one or be cared for in turn at some point in our lives. However, as a society, we’re simply not facing up to that fact.
“The gap between soaring demand and shrinking supply of care is opening up like a crocodile’s jaws and, unless we act now, it’s unpaid carers, those they care for, and the system itself that will be swallowed whole.
“This grim future is on the horizon, but there is still time to avoid it if we are willing to do the political hard yards now. The Prime Minister’s commitment to fixing our broken social care system is encouraging, but reform needs to focus on more than care home beds, budgets, and the paid workforce. It has to reckon frankly and fairly with the millions of unpaid carers that are holding the system together – at huge personal cost.
“It could be you, your mother, brother, or child who needs care in the future, or who becomes a carer in turn. We cannot go on asking unpaid carers to absorb yet more pressure, and we cannot let the worst-case scenario set out in this research become our reality.
“We need well-funded local support that reaches carers before they hit crisis point, real, comprehensive financial and wellbeing support, and a system that recognises carers as essential and equal, not invisible and expendable.”
Andrew Harrop, Director at Public First, said:“Today family carers provide the lion’s share of support for people with care needs. But Public First’s projections show that the future supply of carers may not keep up with the demand. In 10 years’ time the UK may need 600,000 more people to care than are in a position to do so.
“The number of people with care needs is rising quickly, because more people are reaching late old age. Meanwhile the number in the generation below who typically provide care is barely increasing.
“The shortfall in carers will mean that more people’s needs go unmet and more intensive pressures on those who are able to care.”
Glencairn Care Home in Edinburgh has been celebrating individuality through person-centred approaches. The home has introduced Artificial Intelligence (AI), Namaste care and other tools such as staff matching documents and the digital pain tool, Painchek.
The home used staff profiles and staff matching tools to develop wellbeing companions to replace a key worker system. From this, relationships have flourished developing more trust between staff and residents.
Through person-centred care planning, staff have identified residents’ interests, strengths and wishes and now residents are far more engaged.
Wellbeing companions have supported some residents to achieve their dreams.
Staff have also noticed a reduction in stress and distress with some residents coming out of their bedrooms more, some spending more time outdoors, and spending time with others, becoming less isolated.
Olive, a resident in the home said: “I have had the best day of my life in years. It really is marvellous all of the work you are doing in here. It has honestly given me a sense of purpose again.”
Initially staff were hesitant, however after seeing some immediate results, particularly through using Painchek and the Namaste approach, staff have been more motivated to take part in activities and overall, morale has improved.
Emily, team leader said: “It has been so rewarding seeing the residents engage, in particular residents having conversations where they wouldn’t have had before.”
Some other benefits have shown improved outcomes for residents living with stress and distress and encouraged independence. The home has also seen a reduction in pain and anti-psychotic medication throughout using Painchek.
Jozi, care home manager said: “I can’t begin to explain how fulfilling and empowering this change of practice and essentially change of culture has been for us.
“To see a reduction in medications is rewarding alone, but to see the improvement in residents’ wellbeing has been remarkable.”
Young carers take open top bus to Westminster on Young Carers Action Day to call on MPs and decision-makers for more support
Almost a quarter of young carers say no one else can provide the care they do
Two-fifths worry too much about the person they care for to take a break
72% miss out on the school holidays, nearly half miss out on friendships and almost one in five say they’re missing time out of their education
More than half of young carers can’t get a regular break from caring, while almost a quarter say there’s no one else to provide the care they do, an alarming survey has found.
The findings have been released by Carers Trust for Young Carers Action Day on 12 March. The time young carers spend on their caring role mean young carers often miss out on education, friendships, holidays and many other things their classmates take for granted, the survey showed.
The survey of 423 young and young adult carers found nearly one in five rarely or never get a break (17%), while 40% said they got one only some of the time. Just 15% said they could take a break whenever they wanted.
Asked what stopped them getting a break, almost a quarter (23%) said there was no one else to provide the care they give. Two-fifths (40%) said they worried too much about the person they care for to take time out from looking after them.
One young carer said:“I feel bad for taking breaks and when I have time for myself I’m always thinking that I could be doing something else to help out. It’s isolating because I can’t meet up with friends. I can text but it’s just not the same. Everyone’s planning their holidays and trips but I know I can’t go on holiday.”
Almost three-quarters of young carers (72%) said they miss out on the holidays because they provide care, the survey showed.
Many also felt they were shut out of a lot of the things most other children get to do. Nearly half (49%) miss out on friendships, and 46% on hobbies. Almost two-thirds (65%) said they lacked time to themselves and nearly one in five (19%) felt they were missing their education.
Young Carers Action Day is an annual campaign organised by Carers Trust with its network of local carer organisations.
It aims to highlight the challenges faced by the UK’s one million young carers (under-18s) and the hundreds of thousands of young adult carers aged 18-25. At least 16,000 young carers in the UK, some just five years old, are caring for 50 hours a week or more, according to the most recent census data.
This year the theme of Young Carers Action Day is “Give Me A Break”. It was chosen by young carers themselves to show their need for respite but also to be given a chance in life by schools, employers and politicians.
Carers Trust is calling on the UK Government to ensure all young carers have access to a properly funded break from their caring role. Politicians, education providers, employers and other organisations are also being asked to sign the Young Carers Covenant, a pledge to help young carers improve their lives.
Kirsty McHugh, Carers Trust’s CEO, said: “Across the UK, children as young as five are spending huge amounts of their free time caring for others. We know this can have a devastating effect on their education, wellbeing and future prospects. It is simply wrong that, as a country, we are asking so many children to take on so much.
“Those in power need to give young carers a break. If we want young people to thrive, as well as those for which they care, we need to give these young people the chance to take time out from their caring duties.”
The Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said:“As Children’s Commissioner, I know from speaking to young carers that they provide essential support to their family members and take on extra responsibilities to look after their loved ones, sometimes at a cost to their own education.
“Young carers often have to navigate extremely challenging circumstances alone without extra support, which can have a big impact on their lives and wellbeing.”
“I am collecting evidence from schools and colleges about how they support young carers in their own settings, to build a national picture of how these children’s extra responsibilities are being recognised. We should be no less ambitious for young carers than we are for all children.”
On Young Carers Action Day, Carers Trust will be giving a group of young carers a break by taking them on an open top bus tour in London. The bus will be stopping at Westminster where politicians are being invited to hop aboard, meet the children and hear their concerns directly.
The day before, young carers from Hartlepool Carers Centre will hand in a letter to 10 Downing Street. It will ask for the Prime Minister’s support for the Young Carers Covenant and cross-government action to improve opportunities for young and young adult carers.
In Scotland, there will be a mass gathering of young carers at Holyrood where they will meet MSPs, share their experiences and call for more support.
There will also be a roundtable discussion with decision-makers about better access to breaks for young carers. A Young Carer Action Day Parliamentary Debate will take place in the Scottish Parliament Chamber with over 100 young carers in attendance.
In Wales, Carers Trust’s Youth Council of young carers supported by local carer organisations across the country will join together at the Senedd.
They’ll be quizzing MSs about how they can work towards a country where young carers are supported to access the short breaks they need and they’ll have a chance to hear from former young carers about the breaks they’ve had in life in their careers and education.
For the fifth year in a row, creative arts charity Create and Carers Trust are partnering for a special showcase of artwork made by young carers during four Young Carers Action Day 2025 projects. These have taken place across the four nations of the UK.
The online showcase is on the “Give Me a Break” theme and highlights the importance of giving young carers time off from their caring responsibilities to look after their own wellbeing.
This year’s showcase will feature puppetry, photography, prints and collages specifically created for the day by young people in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Mary and Billy have been fostering with FCA Scotland for over 18 years now. They are now sharing their fostering story with us.
Billy and Mary have built lifelong connections with the children they have fostered over the years. Although they are all independent adults now, the couple still stays in touch with most of them.
When they first began their fostering journey, Billy was ready for a career change after working in the leisure industry for a number of years and decided to take up fostering full-time. He was the main carer for the first 10 years while Mary continued to work full time in housing but supported Billy in the mornings, evenings and at weekends.
Billy wants people to understand that men can make brilliant foster carers, too.
He said that fostering doesn’t mean only giving a child a roof, there’s a lot more to it. He shared how to manage expectations and work towards a successful outcome, saying: “You’re not going to get a ‘perfect’ child. It’s a challenging job, but it’s a very rewarding one.”
It is important, as Billy explained, to look at the situation from the foster child’s perspective. He said: “Your foster children may not be well equipped to receive the love and care you are giving them and so it’s very important to be patient and be able to support them in the right way.”
Billy, the main carer in the family at the time, said: “I decided that it was a good career choice for me. I felt that we could really help the children and make a difference in their lives.”
He wants more men to consider fostering as a career and shared some practical advice to get started, he said: “Get all the relevant information about fostering, ensure you have done your research, speak to people about it, and get as much support as you can.”
Currently, the couple cares for a fifteen year old girl who has lived with them for nine years along with her two siblings who have since moved out of their care, become “well-rounded adults”, and even started their own families.
They have kept an open channel of communication with them and said: “If anything happens, you can always come and speak to us and we will deal with it together.”
Alongside her, Billy and Mary also welcome short-term fostering which can be extra challenging but given their experience, the couple are happy to take them in and give them a safe space.
Billy and Mary were well-settled in their lives but always felt like they needed something more out of it. Mary said: “We were both working full-time and had a good life but we always felt that there was something we could offer.”
The couple both had children from other partners but didn’t have the chance to bring up a family together. Mary said: “We thought we could be a good parenting team.”
They saw an advert for fostering with FCA Scotland and decided to have a look into it since their own children were all grown up and had left home.
Billy and Mary’s fostering journey has been a long and successful one but not without its challenges. FCA Scotland provides consistent support, guidance, training and development to all their foster carers, to help manage those challenges and ensure they deliver nothing but the highest quality of care.
Mary fondly talks about one of their foster children who lived with them for eight years before moving out, she said: “As a foster carer, you build a long-lasting relationship with the child.
“We are still in contact with him after all these years and we are always there to support him when he needs it. He remains a member of our family and comes along for Christmas Day and family events.
“We helped these children build up their self-esteem and fit into the world, a journey which was made easier by the support of our social workers, therapists, and the team at FCA Scotland. We would highly recommend them as a fostering agency.”
Billy said: “I’m proud of the work we’ve done since the beginning of our fostering journey, it’s a very rewarding job and we’ve seen the rewards.
“I think we’ve done something worthwhile and have been able to give back to our community.”
For more information about fostering, visit FCA Scotland’s website:
Since moving to Edinburgh to study nursing 10 years ago, Courtney Bennett has long understood the need for attentive, respectful in-home care to meet the growing demand for exceptional services in her community.
After a decade in the care industry, Courtney has recently launched Visiting Angels – a care provider that cares for people in the comfort of their own homes – with the intention of not only providing high-quality in-home care for Edinburgh residents, but also to reward carers for the amazing work they do for others day in, day out.
Before launching Visiting Angels, Courtney graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a nursing degree, and she felt so at home in the city that she decided to stay and start a life here.
In her years after university, Courtney worked across the care sector in various roles, predominantly with the elderly in nursing homes and in adult social care from the nursing perspective.
After battling through her own health issues, Courtney had to take a step back from clinical nursing, but never lost the passion she had for caring for others. It was this which prompted Courtney to launch Visiting Angels; she was able to provide that high level of care to those who need it most while being able to look after her own health.
“Since finding nursing, I have loved caring for others, particularly for the elderly,” says Courtney, of her motivation for launching the company. “I love the elderly; I feel so comfortable in their company – more than most my own age actually!
“I loved my job as a nurse, but it’s no secret that it comes with its own challenges. Being a caregiver is such a difficult job, one which is not nearly championed enough. Carers deserve to be treated, valued and rewarded properly for the amazing work that they do.
“I found when I was working in care homes that no matter how fantastic the home, the team and the facilities were, there was always something which felt institutionalising and isolating about them.
“I’m a firm believer that people rest better in their own home, and that when carers are given more time for visits and properly compensated for their work, that in-home care becomes something incredibly special.
“When I decided to launch Visiting Angels here in Edinburgh, it was so important for me to think about not just our clients, but our carers as well, which is why we have policies covering minimum one-hour visits, paid-for travel time between visits for staff, and proper rewards for our caregivers’ incredible work.”
Visiting Angels’ ‘carer-centric’ approach sets it apart from other companies in the in-home care sector. Carers working for Visiting Angels feel valued and respected for their commitment to the industry.
Through both financial rewards and opportunities for career development, Courtney and the Visiting Angels team are determined to address issues surrounding the industry, which often leaves carers feeling little –to no appreciation.
Courtney is aiming to have around 20 carers on board by the end of the year. With staff turnover in the care sector at a record high, Courtney is determined to encourage caregivers to stay in the industry, by providing them with a supportive, respectful, rewarding work environment.
More than anything, Courtney wants to change the face of social care for the better, and to make it accessible to every person who needs it.
“It’s so important to get our voices heard and to make a real difference in the community. So much of our local area is underserved and often overlooked when it comes to care, so I’m really excited to be able to bring this level of high-quality, consistent care to the people of East Edinburgh.”
Charity prepares for influx of dogs being given up as new school year begins
As millions of children across the country return to the classroom after the summer break, Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, is encouraging dog owners to head Bark to School with their pups in a bid to reduce the number of dogs potentially being handed into rehoming centres.
The charity, which is already experiencing its busiest period on record in terms of handovers due to the rise in the cost of living, is preparing itself for a possible further spike as families return to a post-holiday juggle of work and school, and their young dogs struggle to cope with being left home alone, causing them to exhibit bad behaviours.
Many pups acquired during the pandemic are now well into adolescence, a tricky stage for any dog owner, particularly those short on time and juggling family life, and many families may feel they are unable to cope with problematic behaviour. Many of these issues can be resolved through basic training and education of dog owners.
Last year on September 6th, the start of the new school year in England, Dogs Trust saw an uplift in enquiries from dog owners looking to rehome their dog. The charity received 163 enquiries to handover their dogs on the first day of term – more than any other day during September – and during the first week of September, saw an uplift in enquiries from struggling owners compared to the previous week.
John-Paul Maguire, Head Coach at Dog School Glasgow, explains:“Whilst the majority of dog owners see their dogs as much-valued family members and have loved spending time with their four-legged friends over the holidays, sadly we do see an uplift in handover enquiries as soon as children go back to school.
“In many cases, dogs are not equipped to deal with this sudden change in routine where they suddenly have to get used to having less attention which means they may start displaying undesirable behaviour.”
Aside from the rise in the cost of living, one of the main reasons dogs are handed over to Dogs Trust is because of behaviour-related issues that may have been prevented or managed with training. Which is why the charity is urging dog owners to go ‘Bark to School” and take action now by signing their puppy or adult dog up to training classes to avoid future problems so they can live happily together.
Dogs Trust runs affordable dog training and puppy classes in locations across the UK. Dogs Trust Dog School classes operate nationwide and are available throughout the year. At these classes, owners will learn how to teach their dogs how to meet and greet other dogs politely, walk nicely on the lead, come back when called, overcome chewing and mouthing as well as understand dog body language and what your dog is trying to tell you.
John-Paul adds: “Dogs Trust is always here to help families who are struggling to care for their dog, for whatever reason, but we hope that anyone that is finding their dog’s behaviour challenging after the summer holidays will consider heading Bark to School and sign up to Dog School classes to help their dog fulfil their potential and make sure families and four-legged friends can continue to live happily together.”
Bield Housing and Care, a specialist provider for older people, has launched a new volunteer initiative to bring together its diverse community.
Coinciding with Pride Day, Bield‘s ‘Rainbow Network’ initiative will see tenants invited to join a volunteer-led group focused on inclusivity and fostering a safe and social environment for members of the LGBT community.
It is hoped that bringing together like-minded tenants will not only create a social space but also actively engage and encourage tenants to share ideas for enhancing inclusivity.
The group is part of Bield’s efforts to highlight the importance of the nine legally protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
Zhan McIntyre, Head of Policy and Customer Standards at Bield, said: “The Rainbow Network has been set up to create an inclusive space for our diverse community to come together.
“We’re delighted to be launching during Pride Month and to host the first meeting on 28th June – Pride Day. Tenant opinions and feedback form the baseline for our entire business, so we are always looking for ways to improve communication and engagement with our customers.”
One of the tenants already involved in the Rainbow Network said: “The LGBT scene is very oriented around younger folk but many of us older ones have been active and ‘out’ for decades, it’s just as we get older we can become marginalised and lonely.”
Anyone interested in attending the virtual group should contact feedback@bield.co.uk in order to receive a link to the meeting.
The Rainbow Network is one of many initiatives recently introduced to get feedback from the people who know and use Bield’s services.
It comes just days after Bield held its first major customer engagement event since the pandemic, which saw the important annual fixture on hold for more than two years, enabling the organisation’s CEO and Directors to meet face-to-face with customers.
The engagement event gave tenants the opportunity to influence Bield’s strategy for the next five years at a time when the sector faces numerous challenges including soaring energy prices, the introduction of new legislation and climate change.
Bield is a registered charity dedicated to providing flexible housing solutions and support for older people with around 180 developments and over 5000 customers across Scotland.
