The GSD has today said that families and service users are suffering while the Government “stumbles through the debris of a crisis entirely of its own making.”

A statement continued: “It has been heart-wrenching to hear directly from those affected, families facing severe continuity-of-care and many other issues during the Lifecome Care debacle, and now during the scramble to recover with a new provider. 

“The GSD wants this situation resolved, urgently and effectively, for the benefit of all service users and families. But we cannot ignore the facts: the Lifecome Care contract was awarded by this Government, which has now been in power for 14 years. During these 14 years they’ve had more than enough time to address the systemic problems plaguing our care services, issues of cohesion, continuity, regulation, and quality. They must finally take responsibility.”

Shadow Minister for Care, Atrish Sanchez, notes:

“Over the last several months, we haven’t just raised these issues in Parliament, we’ve sat with families, spoken with service users and staff, and listened to the heartbreaking reality they’ve endured. The stories are real, they are heart-wrenching and simply unacceptable. This is not a sudden crisis. It’s the result of years of poor planning, weak oversight, and failed leadership. 

“This week’s Town Hall meeting only confirmed what many already knew: the service is in chaos. And while the Government once again gave reassurances, we’ve heard it all before. We genuinely hope this time will be different but trust has been badly eroded. What was especially disappointing was the Government’s attempt to shift all the blame onto Lifecome Care, even though they awarded that contract and promised a smooth transition with improved care standards. Instead, the service has been brought to its knees. After dodging questions in Parliament for months, we’re now told that CCDSL had to step in and salvage the situation. 

“But what does this say about the Government’s oversight? If there was a contract in place to ensure accountability, how is it that the new provider, who are clearly working around the clock, say they are ‘shocked’ by the state of what they’ve inherited? How did the Government allow it to get this bad?”

Atrish Sanchez adds: “We will continue monitoring the situation and most importantly listening to those at the heart of it: the care users, the families, and the workers. We also want to make it absolutely clear, anyone affected who wants to reach out to us, we are here to listen. 

“Finally, we also want to recognise and thank the staff at CCDSL and the Care Agency, who have stepped up in incredibly challenging circumstances. They’re doing everything they can to rebuild a service that should never have been allowed to deteriorate into this state in the first place. We hope that this time, families finally begin to see the stability and quality of care they’ve waited far too long for.”