Don’t let the Tories get off the hook in the debates around older people in nursing, care and in their own homes where the coronavirus the has led to the deaths of staff and residents.

Let it be known of the voices of those older people’s organisations and trade unions have been warning of the serious dangers to those in care over years.

Silence has reigned s “older people” individually (except for a few “celebrities”) or their organisations with both experience and expertise. Have spoken up. As with the National Pensioners Convention.

The trade unions also (mostly with “Pensioner” sections) are missing from the conversations left out of the nation’s debates .

This follows five years and more of these warning of the threat to the well being and the very lives of those working and living in nursing and care homes. This now writ large in the deaths of residents and staff.

The voices first were raised with the move from local council care to private, for profit, care. This was backed by government funding to local councils oiling its wheels. This though has been cut massively over the years as the numbers needing care grew.

The cuts also affected the duty of care the disabled and ill in their own homes. The consequences were poorly paid, trained and overworked staff left to cope with the care for vulnerable people.

The warnings given are now tragically writ large in the deaths of care staff and residents. The fact that Tory governments have failed to produce a Green Paper on care over three years is not encouraging.

A demand then is a national social care system funded from general taxation free at the point of delivery and without means testing. Nothing less.