With just a few weeks to go before a pivotal election in Scotland, now is the time to urge our local representatives to address a major public health issue that has been overlooked for far too long.
As I write, the needs of the 1.5 million people in Scotland who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus are being neglected, and this must change.
It’s unacceptable that people with hearing loss in Scotland face routine waits of up to 18 months for audiology services, with some forced to wait even longer.
Too often, healthcare services in Scotland also fail to meet the communication needs of deaf people and those with hearing loss, such as providing an accessible alternative to the telephone, or a BSL interpreter for those who need one. This leaves people unable to fully understand or participate in decisions about their own care.
We want Scotland to be a country where the 1.5 million deaf people and people with hearing loss or tinnitus are fully included and treated with respect, dignity and understanding.
In the run up to the election, RNID is urging people to raise these issues with their local MSP candidates. You can contact your local candidates by visiting www.rnid.org.uk or by clicking here.
Regards,
Ruth MacLeod,
Health Policy Advisor, RNID – the national charity supporting people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.
NSPCC reveals nine in 10 adults in Scotland are concerned about child abuse – as charity calls on political parties to prioritise children’s safety
87% adults in Scotland are concerned about child abuse and neglect
Yet 86% think child abuse and neglect can be prevented
NSPCC calling for all political parties in next Scottish Government to work together to prevent child abuse and neglect
Almost nine in 10 adults (87%) in Scotland are concerned about the risk of abuse and neglect facing children but 86% of those who expressed an opinion believe it can be prevented, a new NSPCC survey has revealed.
The Savanta poll of over 1,000 adults in Scotland also found that the majority (54%) believe the risk to children is greater than when they were growing up.
When asked to select the greatest risk facing children, over a third (34%) named online harms and more than one in four (27%) cited poverty and lack of basic resources.
NSPCC Scotland is publishing this data as part of its call to all political parties to work together to prevent child abuse and neglect to improve the lives of babies, children and families in Scotland ahead of the Scottish Parliament election in May.
The NSPCC recognises that Scotland has long aspired to give all children the best possible start in life. Yet too often child protection is only prioritised in response to distressing revelations of abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation and death.
The charity believes that children are being failed by fragmented early years policy, overstretched social work services, rising online harms and inconsistent access to healthy relationships education.
In the charity’s recent survey, respondents’ views on how best to address child abuse and neglect included, improve coordination between police, schools, health services and social care in protecting children, and the following:
Better public awareness to help educate adults about the signs of child abuse and how to report it
Better education for children on identifying abuse and knowing how to get help
Improve training for teachers, health-workers and other frontline professionals in identifying and responding to child sexual abuse
Joanne Smith, NSPCC Scotland policy and public affairs manager, said: “All children have the right to a safe, happy, and healthy childhood.
“Scotland has long aspired to take a preventative approach, but we haven’t made the sustained investment or put in place the strong, lasting governance that’s needed to lead and coordinate this work and turn our shared ambition for children into reality.
“We now have the opportunity to change that. We need to build systems that identify risk early, support families before crisis, and protect children both online and offline.
“Our 5‑Point Plan for Prevention offers a roadmap that the next government can implement from day one. Preventing child abuse and neglect should be a national priority, and long-term commitment, that we invest in.
“We cannot afford to fail another generation of children.”
The charity’s 5‑Point Plan for Prevention calls for the next Scottish Government to:
Invest in babies and very young children to ensure every baby receives consistent, universal services, with early identification of families who need additional specialist support, re-establish early years as a cross-party priority, with a clear focus on parent–infant relationships.
Strengthen the child protection system to improve support for families who are carrying the heaviest load and listen to frontline social workers to understand gaps and pressures. Develop specialist, multi-disciplinary, preventative child protection teams in every area, and introduce a national digital ‘single unique identifier’ to track decisions and progress and ensure continuity and accountability across services. Also, deliver a National Social Work Agency that gives social workers the time, space, tools and confidence to offer early support to vulnerable families with very young children.
Prevent child sexual abuse by taking a public health approachby improving data on the scale and nature of sexual abuse and exploitation against children in Scotland, urgently address the downward trend in recorded concerns about child sexual abuse within social work statistics and design and resource a child protection system that can identify and respond to child sexual abuse.
Keep children safe onlineby ensuring early years, education, child protection, the voluntary sector and law enforcement work together with clear leadership from the next Scottish Government on prevention and recovery efforts. Consult with children and use this to design online safety policy. Set up a Strategic AI Advisory Group to provide expert advice to Ministers to ensure child safety and equality in all national activity related to AI.
Make healthy relationships education mandatory – as it is an opportunity to make sure that all children and young people know that they have a right to be treated, and responsibility to treat others, with dignity and respect. It can help pupils recognise healthy and unhealthy behaviour, and it helps protect children and young people from abuse.
NSPCC Scotland is urging any adult that has concerns about a child to contact the charity’s helpline or reach out to the relevant local authorities. Adults who are concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000, or email: help@NSPCC.org.uk
Young people looking for support on any of the issues mentioned, can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit Childline.org.uk. Childline is available to all young people until their 19th birthday.
New powers let residents reclaim beloved assets and drive patriotic renewal, ‘street by street’ – delivering on the Plan for Change
Millions to benefit as communities revive high streets, parks and public spaces
Up to £5 billion Pride in Place programme puts local people across 339 neighbourhoods in the driving seat of national renewal, as government chooses unity over division
New powers let residents reclaim beloved assets and drive patriotic renewal, street by street – delivering on the Plan for Change
Neighbours and families across the UK will lead the revival of their communities, as the Prime Minister launches a landmark £5 billion Pride in Place programme — backing the ‘true patriots who build their communities up, and choosing unity over division’.
As part of the fund, 169 areas will receive £2 million every year for a decade, giving long-overlooked communities the certainty and control they need to plan for the future. A further 95 areas will receive an immediate £1.5 million to upgrade public spaces with new green spaces, play areas and sports and leisure facilities.
From Bootle to Bridgwater, local people will decide how funding is spent — reviving high streets, restoring parks, and breathing new life into pubs, leisure centres and community halls. This is renewal in action, led by the people who know their neighbourhoods best.
Communities will also gain new powers to seize boarded-up shops, block nuisance businesses, and buy beloved local assets before they close – restoring pride and unity to every corner of the country.
Yesterday’s announcement is part of the government’s Plan for Change, a decade-long mission to back the people who make their communities thrive. It sits alongside wider work to deliver cleaner, safer streets, create opportunities on every doorstep, and build the homes, roads and GP surgeries people need to thrive.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:“For too long, people have watched their towns and streets decline – powerless to stop boarded-up shops and neglected parks. That ends now.
“We’re investing in the UK’s future, by backing the true patriots that build our communities up in neighbourhoods across every corner of the country. Because it’s people who bring pride, hope and life to our communities.
“This is a huge investment, but what matters most is who decides how it’s spent: the neighbours, volunteers and parents who know their communities best – the people with real skin in the game.
“We’re choosing renewal over decline, unity over division. This is our Plan for Change in action – giving power and pride back to the people who make Britain great.”
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed said: “Building pride in place starts with people, not politics. Local people know what they want to see in their neighbourhoods – and they don’t need government to dictate it.
“This plan will spark an historic grassroots movement that will restore local people’s power, boost national pride and help people get on in life across the UK as part of our Plan for Change.”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:“We’re giving local people the power to transform their hometowns. Giving them more control of how money is spent where they live so that together we can invest in Britain’s renewal and build an economy that rewards working people.
“This £5 billion investment doesn’t just reverse decades of underinvestment in our public infrastructure – it cuts through the bureaucracy by giving local people the power to deliver the change they want to see.”
This announcement significantly scales up the work already underway in 75 areas, helping communities regenerate and restore local pride.
The up to £5 billion package includes an additional £3.5 billion to roll out the programme to 169 more areas, each receiving up to £20 million over ten years.
Separately, 95 areas receive a share of £150 million capital funding to improve public spaces, parks and high streets.
Local people in the existing 75 areas are already shaping their communities, every project is the result of local people’s ideas and priorities—chosen by the community, for the community. It’s the people who know best what their area needs, and their voices are shaping the future of their towns and cities.
£292 million Pride in Place investment for Scottish neighbourhoods
Scottish Local Authorities backed by Scotland Office to revitalise communities as part of our Plan for Change, with spending decisions in the hands of local people
Local communities are at the heart of Scottish life – and the Scotland Office is backing them with millions of pounds to improve the opportunities and environment for people across the country, the Prime Minister announced yesterday.
The Pride in Place programme will see up to £280 million shared among 12 Scottish local authorities to precisely target areas which can benefit most from funding being made available for a wide range of regeneration projects. Across the UK 169 of the most-in-need communities will benefit.
This includes revitalising high streets and town centres, preserving local heritage, providing housing, creating jobs, boosting productivity and skills, improving health and well-being, creating new transport links, providing education and opportunity and improving safety and security.
And a Pride in Place Impact Fund will see eight local authorities share £12 million to fund the types of changes people have said they want to see. These could include new green spaces, play areas and town centre revitalisation to sports and leisure facilities and the improvement and ownership of key community assets.
Across the UK a total of 95 areas will receive this capital funding.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said yesterday: “The UK Government is committed to delivering a decade of national renewal for Scotland. Through the Pride in Place programmes we’re announcing today, the UK Government will provide 14 places in Scotland with up to £20 million over 10 years and eight Scottish local authorities with £1.5 million over two years.
“We are providing almost £300 million new direct investment to local authority areas to revitalise local communities.
“The UK Government will be working with local partners to deliver economic growth and l see these improvements made to communities up and down Scotland making them even greater places to live, work and play.”
Hourglass – the only UK-wide charity dedicated to ending the abuse, harm, exploitation and neglect of older people – has responded to comments by the Safeguarding Minister, Jess Phillips, who admitted the DASH tool “doesn’t work”.
DASH – the UK’s main risk assessment tool for domestic abuse – could soon be scrapped, after mounting evidence shows it has repeatedly failed to identify high-risk cases.
For more than a decade, professionals across the UK have relied on DASH. Yet independent studies reveal that victims who were later killed, or suffered repeated abuse, were often assessed as only ‘standard’ or ‘medium’ risk. Families who lost loved ones are now taking legal action against institutions that relied on this flawed tool.
Hourglass has long warned that DASH was never fit for purpose when it came to older victim-survivors. Abuse in later life often looks very different: dependency on carers or family members, economic coercion, neglect and isolation.
By contrast, DASH questions were built around the experiences of younger victims, often focusing on stalking, harassment or recent relationship breakdowns.
Crucially, Hourglass reminds policymakers that abuse of older people is not just a women and girls’ issue:
Older men make up a significant proportion of callers to the Hourglass helpline.
Abuse can be perpetrated by adult children, relatives, or even professional carers – not just intimate partners.
Risk tools designed solely within a VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) framework leave older men, and those outside traditional victim stereotypes, unseen and unsupported.
Richard Robinson, Chief Executive of Hourglass, said: “Older victim-survivors of abuse are too often invisible in the safeguarding system.
“Hourglass has never believed that DASH adequately reflected the realities of abuse in later life – whether those victims are women or men. Replacing DASH must be more than a technical fix.
“It must embed an age-inclusive, gender-inclusive understanding of abuse, backed by training, resourced services, and accountability across every agency.”
Hourglass is calling on government and safeguarding partners to:
Ensure any replacement risk tool reflects the unique dynamics of abuse against older people, including economic dependence, carer-abuse, coercion at end of life, and age-related vulnerabilities.
Recognise that older men as well as women are victims, and provide specialist services.
Mandate specialist training for professionals so older victims are not ‘downgraded’ or dismissed as low-risk.
Collect robust age- and gender-segmented data to monitor risk decisions and prevent systemic neglect of older victim-survivors.
Hourglass is urging those keen to support the charity to donate by visiting www.wearehourglass.org.uk/donate or Text SAFER to 70460 to donate £10.
Texts cost £10 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS.
If you’d like to give £10 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text SAFERNOINFO to 70460.
Hourglass, the only UK-wide charity focused on ending the abuse, harm, exploitation and neglect of older people, is calling for an urgent inquiry to understand the true nature and scale of the abuse of older people, following the release of a new report by the Women and Equalities Select Committee.
The report points to older people being omitted from equality frameworks and an increase in ageist attitudes, particularly from the younger generation, with the Committee calling for a review into age discrimination laws which they found were ‘rarely enforced’.
In addition, the report raised the lack of a representative figure for older people in Westminster. Committee chair Sarah Owen MP has called for the UK Government to follow a similar strategy to Wales and ‘should consider the merits of establishing a UK cross-government minister to take responsibility for championing the rights of older people.’
Hourglass, who submitted evidence to the report, welcomes many of these changes as progressive steps to ensuring better representation for older people. However, they are looking to ensure that the abuse of older people is recognised and is a central part of any strategy to tackle ageism in the UK.
Research from the charity suggests that every year, one in five people over the age of 60 experience some form of financial/economic, physical, psychological, sexual abuse or neglect. Over 2.6 million people are thought to be affected, with the majority of cases being committed by family members, within the victim-survivors own home.
Reported cases of abuse committed against older people have risen in recent years, with the number of calls to Hourglass’ helpline having risen by 182% from around 4,500 in 2017 to 12,700 in 2024.
Furthermore, polling by Hourglass and YouGov conducted in 2024 found a ‘significant lack of awareness’ of the nature and prevalence of the abuse of older people, with the poll finding that more than 26% of people did not believe forcing an older relative to change their Will was an act of abuse.
The charity is calling for an inquiry to develop a specific strategy to tackle this abuse, which they estimate costs the UK economy over £16 billion every year, with this set to rise to £25 billion a year by 2050.
Richard Robinson CEO of Hourglass said: “I welcome the publication of this report, which not only shines a light on ageism, but tasks the Government with doing more to make sure older people are represented in Westminster. However, no new strategy on ageism can work without considering the prevalence of the abuse of older people.
“We at Hourglass believe it’s now time for a full inquiry into the abuse of older people – a hidden epidemic affecting 2.6 million people in the UK every single year.
“By 2050, there will be almost 10 million more older people in the UK. If we are to create a truly Safer Ageing Society for the benefit of us all, we must act now to protect more vulnerable older people from harm”.
Fraud, theft, abuse and neglect reaches epidemic levels
Older people are being targeted more than ever before in new statistics and data revealed by Hourglass at the start of Safer Ageing Week (11/11/24).
The charity, the only one of its kind in the UK, reports that calls to its helpline are up 65% year-on-year and this has led to over 75,000 calls, contacts and impacts involving older people, their families and professionals.
This is an all-time record for the thirty-year-old charity.
As part of a new campaign, entitled Take Note, the charity is urging the general public and influencers to finally grasp the nettle about the abuse of older people and treat it in the same manner as other forms of abuse.
This comes off the back of recent staggering data that revealed over £53m has been reported as losses relating to economic abuse in the past three years – an average of £87k per case (5,127 cases). These figures, which come from Hourglass cases alone, are likely to be a significant underestimate.
Hourglass, who uniquely support older victim-survivors of abuse and neglect, employ just thirty members of staff to deal with cases, calls and research. However, the charity has seen figures jump from around 10,000 in 2020/21 to the new high of 75,000 in 2023/24.
Commenting on the figures, Richard Robinson CEO of Hourglass, said: “There is no question we are facing an epidemic of abuse of older people in the UK but it remains firmly under the radar.
“We estimate that abuse of older people costs the UK economy £16 billion per year, excluding economic abuse, and this equates to a figure of £50k per victim-survivor per year.
“Safer Ageing Week 2024 is a rare opportunity to shine a light on these issues and sound the alarm bell.
We are sleepwalking into a scenario where we are expecting more than nine million extra older people in the UK by 2050, equivalent to another city with the population of London, but with little pre-planning around safer ageing, abuse services and specialist safeguarding.
“We are already at epidemic levels – without urgent work, we are looking at a tidal wave of issues.”
State of Care report reveals a social care catastrophe, with thousands of older people being put at risk of abuse and neglect
Hourglass, the only UK-wide charity dedicated to calling time on the abuse, harm and exploitation of older people, is raising concerns of a social care catastrophe following the release of the CQC’s State of Care report.
The report reveals a shocking level of discontent among care staff in the UK due to inadequate training, high staff turnover and vacancy rates. The report reveals that by the end of 2023/24 over a quarter of staff in care homes have left their roles, with vacancy rates three times higher than the wider economy.
A GMB Union survey shows that 70% of social care workers say understaffing is negatively affecting their mental health in addition to increasing rates of care workers neglecting themselves.
The charity warns that this level of dissatisfaction among care staff is a huge risk factor for the abuse and neglect of older people and raises deep concerns over the future of the care sector.
Hourglass also warns of troubling reports from the CQC regarding a lack of understanding of older people with dementia. Ineffective support, poor training and a lack of specialist care results in increased risk of abuse.
The report notes from an anonymous source that:
“The people treating him didn’t know how to communicate and shouted at him about causing distress. I intervened on several occasions. We were left for long periods of time with no explanations.”
With an extra nine million older people, a population the size of London, set to populate the UK by 2050, Hourglass is calling on the UK government to prioritise reform of the social care sector to protect this ageing population from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The charity is encouraging everyone to support their Older Age, Tomorrow’s Hope campaign, which calls on the general public, third sector leaders, care professionals and businesses to sign up and support a Safer Ageing Society by 2050.
The charity is urging those keen to support the charity to donate by visiting www.wearehourglass.org.uk/donate or Text SAFER to 70460 to donate £10.
Texts cost £10 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS.
If you’d like to give £10 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text SAFERNOINFO to 70460.
Last year, the NSPCC’s Helpline made over 230 referrals to a local agency or service in Scotland where concerns about a child being left home alone or unsupervised was mentioned.
This summer holiday, the NSPCC is signposting parents and carers to advice on the charity’s website around leaving children home alone.
The NSPCC Helpline has made twice as many referrals in the last year to local authorities in Scotland about children being left home alone or unsupervised.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, the service, which provides help and advice for adults with concerns about the wellbeing of a child, sent 238 referrals to local authorities in Scotland following contacts about the issue. This is compared to 110 referrals during the previous 12 months.
Last year, the Helpline received 7,802 contacts about the subject from adults from across the UK, compared to 4,717 contacts between 2022 to 2023.
The increase in the number of contacts on this issue to the Helpline and the referrals made could be due to a number of factors, including a recent NSPCC Helpline marketing campaign, increased service capacity and greater public awareness about the risks of leaving children home alone.
More than half of these contacts (51%) on children being left home alone were deemed serious enough for the NSPCC Helpline to make a referral to a local agency or service with a view to further action being taken.
With schools in Scotland currently closed for the summer holiday, many adults might feel unsure about whether their child is ready to be left unsupervised or have concerns about another child being left alone.
For many parents, July and August can be particularly difficult as they are forced to balance the competing pressures of work and childcare. These challenges are likely to be even more acute this year as the cost-of-living crisis continues, forcing some parents and carers to work increased hours or take part-time jobs.
One adult contacted the Helpline with a concern about their neighbour, saying: “It’s two little girls I’m worried about, they must be about four and six; they’re left home alone quite a lot and that means they’re unsupervised with the family’s dogs.
“I’ve knocked a few times to see if they’re ok and they always say, ‘daddy will be back soon’ but it’s usually hours later when one of the parents comes back.”
There is no legal age limit for leaving children home alone, but the NSPCC would not recommend leaving any child under the age of 12 at home unsupervised, especially for extended periods of time.
A child who expresses concern about being left alone should never be without a parent or carer and for those young people who do feel comfortable, it is vital they are left with contact numbers for a parent, carer or trusted adult. Long periods of being unsupervised can lead to children feeling afraid or neglected.
One young person aged 14 told Childline: “I’m sick of being left on my own, mum expects me to just look after myself.
“There isn’t always food I can cook, I can’t go and see my friends or do anything fun, but she can.”
Should leaving a child alone be the only option for an adult, then the NSPCC’s website has tips for parents to help ensure the young person feels safe, as well as a quiz to assess if a child is ready to be left unsupervised.
Kam Thandi, Head of the NSPCC’s Helpline said: “It can be hard for parents and carers to know the right age to leave their child home alone as every child is different, and the first time being left unsupervised will differ for every family.
“It is vital that both the child and adult feel comfortable with any decision that is taken, and that if a young person is to be left home alone, they know how to contact a trusted adult and what to do in an emergency.
“For anyone who may need advice or is concerned about a child who might be at risk, our Helpline service can support you and the NSPCC website has a range of tips.”
New survey findings also show more than two in five parents in Scotland have experienced difficulties as a parent they found hard to manage alone.
The NSPCC is releasing this data as it aims to inspire a million people to take actions that keep children safe through its Listen up, Speak up campaign.
Workshops being offered to groups and organisations across Scotland to help public understand some signs a child might be at risk and the steps to take.
As a quarter of adults (26%) in Scotland say they have had concerns a child may be experiencing abuse or neglect, the NSPCC offers workshops to help people take action.
The YouGov survey of 3,999 adults across the UK, including 344 in Scotland, also revealed that one in five UK adults who have had a concern did not take action.
Survey results show that the main barriers that prevented people from acting are being unsure about if what was happening was abuse, being worried about making things worse and not being able to prove it.
The children’s charity is releasing this data to show why its new campaign is needed. Listen up, Speak up – through workshops and online training – aims to inspire adults across the UK to play their part in keeping children safe, by taking action to support children and families.
That might mean stepping in to help juggle childcare, providing a listening ear to a struggling teen, or calling the NSPCC Helpline if they think a child is at risk.
The NSPCC recognises that parenting can be challenging, and the new poll also found that of the 175 parents in Scotland surveyed:
More than two in five (47%) said they have experienced difficulties as a parent that they found hard to manage alone.
One in four (25%) said the fear of being judged would stop them seeking help.
Almost three out of five (59%) said that if someone offered support they had not asked for, they would be glad someone had stepped in (18%) or be reassured to feel someone was on their side (41%).
The Listen up, Speak up workshops, which are led by the NSPCC and being offered to schools, businesses, organisations and community groups, advise participants on some of the signs that a child might be at risk, how to approach difficult conversations and who to contact if they are concerned about a child or their family.
The workshops are being offered face-to-face and online and people can also complete a 10-minute digital training session.
Carla Malseed, Local Campaigns Manager for Scotland, said: “We believe that everyone can play a part in keeping children safe, if armed with the knowledge of what to do when concerned a child is at risk.
“This can range from practically supporting a family, being a listening ear or letting someone know about your concerns, such as a parent, a child protection lead for a sports club, or even contacting the NSPCC Helpline.
“In our Listen up, Speak up workshops, we run through different scenarios, talk about the things that stop people raising concerns and give some advice about broaching these conversations, which can be difficult.
“We are really keen to reach as many people as possible through our workshops and would love to hear from any community groups, businesses or organisations that would like to host one.”
The advice is based on the mnemonic DOTS which is designed to address the barriers to people acting on concerns.
DOTS stands for:
Don’t ignore it
Observe the situation
Think: If not you, then who?
Speak up.
Workshops are already set to take place across Scotland in the coming weeks, including several at Sanctuary Housing sites in Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. Sessions are also set to take place at Montrose Playhouse, House of Bruar, Bike for Good in Glasgow and more.
A series of follow-up emails to the online training will share more advice on how to listen to and support children and families and will introduce some helpful services and resources.
That includes advice on everyday challenges that families may be facing such as bonding with their baby, parental mental health and keeping their children safe online.
So far, more than 25,000 people have signed up to Listen up, Speak up digital training. The charity is striving to reach one million people and organisations across the UK over the next 10 years, inspiring them to take actions in their community.
NSPCC’s CEO, Sir Peter Wanless, said: “All of us come across children in our daily lives, be this in our neighbourhoods, at our places of work, on our commute or at the supermarket.
“At the NSPCC we understand it can be hard to know what to do in a situation where you have a niggling concern about a child’s wellbeing.
“Findings from our survey show 73% of UK adults agree that there is a lack of training on what individuals can do to prevent child abuse and neglect, which is where our Listen up, Speak up programme can help.
“In just 10 minutes, you can equip yourself with a little bit of knowledge, which can go a long way in helping to keep children and young people safe.”
Motorists have been warned that the risk to life because of potholes is now severe, as new figures reveal UK roads are in the worst condition in years.
Road safety experts at Road Angel are urging councils to fork out and repair potholes or they say road users will lose their lives.
Local authorities paid out over £32 million in compensation for 5,596 personal injury claims due to potholes between 2017 and 2021, according to a freedom of information request.
Pothole-related breakdowns hit a five-year high in July this year, with 50,079 callouts to vehicles stranded with faults caused by potholes, an increase of nearly one-fifth from 41,790 in July 2022.
With fewer potholes being repaired in the last financial year than any other in the past decade, there is concern that thousands more will be injured, and killed, as a direct result of badly kept roads.
A wet summer has meant that UK roads are in a worse condition than expected as water causes greater damage and repairs are harder to carry out.
If left, potholes grow in size as traffic wears away the edges leaving greater numbers of larger holes that will cause serious damage if driven through.
Motoring organisations are reporting that these larger potholes fill up with water in the wet so are harder for motorists to spot.
Drivers run the risk of losing control of their car when they drive over potholes, especially if they don’t spot them and are moving at speed.
Potholes can cause extensive damage to a car’s tyres which can affect steering alignment, and can also cause wheels to burst, pop or deflate while driving which could send the vehicle out of control.
They can also cause suspension to become misaligned leading to tyres being at the wrong angle which can also lead to a loss of control.
Over 29,000 people were killed or seriously injured on UK roads last year and 11% of crashes were caused by a loss of control.
Gary Digva, founder of Road Angel, is now pleading with local authorities to assess the risk to life if the pothole problem in the UK is not repaired.
He said: “It is shocking to see that the pothole plague in the UK is not being taken seriously by local councils given how many people are injured because of them.
“With fewer potholes being repaired than in the last decade, it is only a matter of time before we start seeing an increase in accidents, injuries and fatalities unless something changes.
“Potholes are incredibly dangerous for motorists as they can cause them to lose control, especially if they cause damage to the tyres of suspension, or swerve out of the way to prevent damage.
“Almost 30,000 people were killed or seriously injured on UK roads last year, and we fear these numbers could increase with the current state of the roads.
“Potholes not only pose a threat to motorists, but they are also dangerous for cyclists because the uneven surfaces can cause the bike to lose control, leading to accidents and serious injuries.
“Pedestrians could also get caught in the crossfire of out-of-control vehicles, putting them at serious risk of harm if walking along a busy road.
“To make matters worse, we have had an unusually wet summer this year which makes potholes harder for road users to see, meaning more people are at risk of hitting potholes and losing control.
“The best advice to motorists while the roads are in this substandard condition is to drive with caution at all times and reduce speeds when approaching a pothole.
“Motorists concerned for their safety after hitting a pothole should ensure they go to a qualified mechanic to check the vehicle for any damage.
“It is also worth noting that to make a claim in the event of injury or car damage from a pothole, evidence must be collected to show it was caused by the council’s negligence.
“This is a tough process, but can be done using witness statements, photo or video evidence and medical records, so while the roads are neglected by the councils it may be worth investing in a dashcam to capture pothole proof.”
