Care workers take protests to capital

Members of Unison working for Care UK in Doncaster have just launched a three-week walkout following months of action and travelled to central London to demonstrate at the offices of parent firm Bridgepoint.

Nicola Naylor, a nurse for 35 years, claimed qualified staff are leaving because of changes to pay and conditions and being replaced by cheaper, untrained workers.

“The quality of service is being affected, so vulnerable people are being hit. This is all about the privatisation of the NHS.”

Care UK said the action was politically motivated, adding: “This is an essential social care service, funded by a local council which must find over £100m of savings. It is not an NHS service funded by an NHS commissioner with ring fenced funding.”