Key Worker Nation news shorts

Increased efforts launched to solve Argyll and Bute Key Worker accommodation crisis

A new partnership between Argyll and Bute Council and key community organisations is set to provide vital accommodation for Key Workers on the islands of Coll, Tiree, Mull and in the Lorn area.

The move is the latest action by the local authority to tackle Argyll and Bute’s housing emergency, which was declared last summer.

There is a serious lack of accommodation for the area’s Key Workers, particularly those delivering essential health and social care services.

Grants from the Strategic Housing Fund will now support provision of accommodation for health and social care staff.

Funding has been approved for several projects.

Two NHS properties on Coll are to be brought back into use for Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) staff delivering health and social care services on the island (£100,000).

A council-owned property is to be brought back into use for HSCP staff delivering health and social care services on Tiree (£80,000).

Refurbishment of an Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) owned 4-bedroom property in Lorn to house HSCP staff and contract workers delivering care to households in the community (£100,000) have been approved, together with the the first phase of delivering worker accommodation properties at Tobermory on Mull (£250,000)

Senior Army staff forced to downsize

A 2023 Ministry of Defence survey found fewer than half of military personnel were satisfied with the standard of their accommodation. More than a quarter said it was a factor influencing decisions to leave.

Some families have been living in damp and poorly maintained military quarters.

Now, military officers and senior soldiers have said they will quit the Army in droves over new accommodation rules, reports the BBC.

Currently, military personnel are entitled to subsidised housing based on their rank, but the Ministry of Defence (MoD) wants to change the rules to focus on families’ needs.

It is feared the crisis in Army recruitment and retention could get worse if the new plans are implemented.

The MoD will soon launch its New Accommodation Offer (NAO) for military personnel.

Under the new offer, a married major with no children would be entitled to a two-bedroom property instead of a three- or four-bedroom house - leaving them with around 38% less space.

A married private with three children will get a larger housegaining around 27% more space.

NHS waiting list falls for third month in a row, thanks to efforts of staff

In December 2023, the NHS experienced positive developments despite the persistent winter pressures. While A&E and ambulance services faced their busiest January on record, the waiting list for elective treatment saw a decline for the third consecutive month. Impressively, despite the need to reschedule appointments due to industrial action, over 19,000 patients were able to receive their elective treatment, contributing to a reduction of more than 6,200 in the overall Covid backlog since September.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, commended the tireless efforts of NHS staff. He encouraged the public to seek advice through NHS 111 for non-life-threatening situations and to call 999 only in emergencies.