Trust doing ‘all possible’ to meet assessed need for home helps

In a statement they said: “Domiciliary care services across all localities like many other services have been impacted by the level of Covid 19 community transmission resulting in staff isolation and Covid related absence.

“The Trust continues to work with independent providers and its in-house homecare service endeavouring to meet assessed need in as timely a way as possible.

“Local recruitment continues for Trust Homecare services with limited success in the Mid-Ulster locality. Homecare staff working in the locality have been very supportive and willing to cover to maintain the capacity of the internal service through additional hours, bank and overtime. In addition we are mindful of the considerable expectations we are placing on staff through a sustained surge in Covid activity and the associated impacts. The people who provide vital domiciliary care are also members of our communities with families of their own. It is essential that those staff get downtime, including some well-earned annual leave, in anticipation of approaching winter pressures . We would appeal to families to work with us at this time and appreciate that we are doing all possible to meet assessed need in increasingly difficult circumstances.”

Mr McGlone has met the Trust and raised the case of 19 constituents, 17 of which are awaiting domiciliary care packages, waiting some months for care packages.

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