the health secretary as well. the health secretary wes streeting says it is a chance to grab the metal. politicians have attempted to grab the nettle before and we have all been stung time and time again. will this be the one? he is looking for cross—party support, he is looking for a consensus. he has appointed a crossbench peer dame louise casey who generally speaking takes no prisoners and tells it like it is, so will we eventually get there? the most important thing between now and ii important thing between now and 11 o'clock is to hear about your life, how you are coping, what you need, what you need from the state, what you don't need from the state. what would make life better and easierfor the heroes of our society, those people who are caring for their loved ones and caring for others, as they are the true backbone who keep our country

going. we want to hear from you. and i will come back to chelsea just a second. somebody i was speaking to just before, if you have joined i was speaking to just before, if you havejoined us on i was speaking to just before, if you have joined us on the television. chelsea whose care agency was talking about the recruitment cap crisis, you may want to redress that as well. stand by, chelsea. david is in croydon, thank you. marie in edinburgh. thank you so much. and anne in leeds, we are going to hear about their lives. dave, tell us about your struggles. dave, tell us about your struggles-_ struggles. struggles is probably _ struggles. struggles is probably not _ struggles. struggles is probably not a - struggles. struggles is probably not a strong. struggles. struggles is - probably not a strong enough word. i will put you on to my situation. my wife had a stroke in 2012, she was suffering a little bit from anxiety before that. she had a really bad stroke and she just about made it, actually. and then again during covid she had cancer and

she had kind of come through that 0k as well. but unfortunately what she has developed over the years is acute anxiety and dementia she has now. i am a 24/7 carer actually. it is absolutely intolerable what i have to do, sometimes it is unbearable. i have to do absolutely everything. she willjust sit there all day long and do nothing. there all day long and do nothing-— nothing. tell me about unbearable. _ nothing. tell me about unbearable. i - nothing. tell me about unbearable. i have - nothing. tell me about unbearable. i have to l nothing. tell me about. unbearable. i have to do everything- _ unbearable. i have to do everything. it _ unbearable. i have to do everything. it is - unbearable. i have to do| everything. it is personal hygiene. if you can imagine i have to do everything in the house, you know, the personal hygiene can be extremely difficult. she wets some times up difficult. she wets some times up to six times a day, i will sit her on the toilet and she

won't go to the toilet and then like this morning she sat on the toilet, got up and she comes downstairs and then when we are having breakfast she is already wet and that's not a nice thing for me to have to say but it is the situation. we need to hear _ say but it is the situation. we need to hear it. _ say but it is the situation. we need to hear it. yeah. - say but it is the situation. we need to hear it. yeah. what l say but it is the situation. we need to hear it. yeah. what i | need to hear it. yeah. what i -honed need to hear it. yeah. what i phoned up — need to hear it. yeah. what i phoned up for _ need to hear it. yeah. what i phoned up for it _ need to hear it. yeah. what i phoned up for it is _ need to hear it. yeah. what i phoned up for it is not - need to hear it. yeah. what i phoned up for it is not really| phoned up for it is not really for myself, it is to let people know, there must be a lot of people, goodness knows thousands of people that are like me who have no hope and going through the throes of living. i do get some enjoyment out of life but we can't go on holiday any more like we used to. it isjust holiday any more like we used to. it is just really ridiculous. ridiculous is not the word, it is intolerable, and i have no hope, in fact it is getting worse, because she is getting worse, because she

is getting worse, because she is getting worse. and i've got no hope, actually. i have been under great stress, i've been in hospital twice for stress, and i went through some tests and i went through some tests and stuff like that but they put it all down to stress. what else can i say? there is not going to be enough resources to give the help that i would need. the local council when she came out after her stroke, she came out after her stroke, she had some help after coming round, she asked me some questions, because she can't communicate either and she doesn't walk properly and she can't use her arm and that. what it is, i mean what you might call a no—win it is a long tunnel and the end of the tunnel there is no light. i

long tunnel and the end of the tunnelthere is no light.- tunnelthere is no light. i pay hue tunnelthere is no light. i pay huge tribute _ tunnelthere is no light. i pay huge tribute to _ tunnelthere is no light. i pay huge tribute to you _ tunnelthere is no light. i pay huge tribute to you coming i tunnel there is no light. i pay| huge tribute to you coming on and sharing this because it's so important that we hear this. ijust so important that we hear this. i just want to take a phrase that you said, and you are one of our heroes, david, you truly are, for what you do. they always say to people in the service, thank you for your service. thank you for your service. thank you for your service because in what you are doing you are saving money, actually, in the long run, of course you are. but i know you would not have it otherwise because it's the person that you love. but what you said there, and i'm just going to take it to marie, hi, marie in edinburgh. take it to marie, hi, marie in edinburgh-— take it to marie, hi, marie in edinburgh. hi. something david said, he used the word unbearable, it was unbearably moving. just going through the throes of living.— throes of living. yes, it can be tough — throes of living. yes, it can be tough and _ throes of living. yes, it can be tough and it _ throes of living. yes, it can be tough and it might - throes of living. yes, it can be tough and it might not l throes of living. yes, it can - be tough and it might not even be tough and it might not even be because you are dealing with somebody on a day—to—day basis and actually being involved in their— and actually being involved in their care. i live 400 miles away— their care. i live 400 miles

away from my mum and dad, i am an only— away from my mum and dad, i am an only child, _ away from my mum and dad, i am an only child, i live on my own. _ an only child, i live on my own. and _ an only child, i live on my own, and my dad was looked aher— own, and my dad was looked after by— own, and my dad was looked after by my mother for a number of years — after by my mother for a number of years. he was diagnosed with dementia. — of years. he was diagnosed with dementia, with alzheimer's just before _ dementia, with alzheimer's just before the pandemic and we knew he had _ before the pandemic and we knew he had it— before the pandemic and we knew he had it but it was when the formal— he had it but it was when the formal diagnosis was given. she looked — formal diagnosis was given. she looked after him admirably during _ looked after him admirably during the pandemic which, as you can — during the pandemic which, as you can imagine, was not an easy— you can imagine, was not an easylime _ you can imagine, was not an easy time. and back in 2024 around — easy time. and back in 2024 around this time last year he was — around this time last year he was admitted to a care home for respite _ was admitted to a care home for respite care because my mum had indicated — respite care because my mum had indicated to the community nurses— indicated to the community nurses that popped in, shall we say _ nurses that popped in, shall we say. they— nurses that popped in, shall we say. they were very good but were — say. they were very good but were popping injust to check on things, they weren't actually involved in the care. and — actually involved in the care. and he — actually involved in the care. and he went into respite because she had a bit of a

breakdown and said she couldn't cope _ breakdown and said she couldn't cope any— breakdown and said she couldn't cope any more. sorry, it is actually— cope any more. sorry, it is actually quite distressing talking about it but i will carry— talking about it but i will carry on. gf talking about it but i will carry on-_ talking about it but i will car on. ~ carry on. of course. are you 0k to carry on? — carry on. of course. are you 0k to carry on? i'm _ carry on. of course. are you 0k to carry on? i'm absolutely - to carry on? i'm absolutely fine because _ to carry on? i'm absolutely fine because i've _ to carry on? i'm absolutely fine because i've been - to carry on? i'm absolutely - fine because i've been fighting this for— fine because i've been fighting this for years, it feels like i've — this for years, it feels like i've been— this for years, it feels like i've been fighting it for a very— i've been fighting it for a very long time, it has taken a lot of— very long time, it has taken a lot of effort of our family, we are a — lot of effort of our family, we are a very— lot of effort of our family, we are a very small family and it's taken— are a very small family and it's taken a hell of a lot from us over— it's taken a hell of a lot from us over the last year. the year we have — us over the last year. the year we have been on has been absolutely traumatic. he went into care — absolutely traumatic. he went into care for respite care and he never— into care for respite care and he never came out because he was _ he never came out because he was sectioned once he got in there — was sectioned once he got in there because he was playing up. there because he was playing up he — there because he was playing up. he had behavioural issues. it up. he had behavioural issues. it wasn't — up. he had behavioural issues. it wasn't anything outrageous at that— it wasn't anything outrageous at that time but he uppishly wasn't — at that time but he uppishly wasn't settled in that place. my mum _ wasn't settled in that place. my mum had been a very good carer— my mum had been a very good carer —— obviously wasn't settled _ carer —— obviously wasn't settled. he ended up being sectioned and he went into a psychiatric unit many miles away — psychiatric unit many miles away from where he lived. my mum — away from where he lived. my mum doesn't drive very far so

she was— mum doesn't drive very far so she was struggling to get to him — she was struggling to get to him. she used to do three hour each _ him. she used to do three hour each way— him. she used to do three hour each way commute is in and out of london — each way commute is in and out of london to see him. and he was _ of london to see him. and he was there _ of london to see him. and he was there for some time. and eventually he was discharged to a care _ eventually he was discharged to a care home that we were paying £2000 _ a care home that we were paying £2000 a — a care home that we were paying £2000 a week to. this care home was an— £2000 a week to. this care home was an absolute nightmare for him and — was an absolute nightmare for him and for us. he went in, they— him and for us. he went in, they said— him and for us. he went in, they said that they had not been — they said that they had not been given all the facts about my dad. — been given all the facts about my dad, that he was playing up again — my dad, that he was playing up again. theyjust kept coming to us and — again. theyjust kept coming to us and asking for more and more money— us and asking for more and more money because they said they couldn't— money because they said they couldn't cope with him. and then— couldn't cope with him. and then at— couldn't cope with him. and then at one point my mum and i were— then at one point my mum and i were on— then at one point my mum and i were on holiday together in yorkshire, this was the first holiday— yorkshire, this was the first holiday both of us had had for a very— holiday both of us had had for a very long time, and we had a

horrendous _ a very long time, and we had a horrendous time. we were told, and i_ horrendous time. we were told, and i don't — horrendous time. we were told, and i don't want to go to too much — and i don't want to go to too much detail because i know my mum _ much detail because i know my mum would be absolutely embarrassed if i told it on nationai— embarrassed if i told it on national radio, but we got told that he — national radio, but we got told that he had tried to get into bed with _ that he had tried to get into bed with another lady and nobody— bed with another lady and nobody had been watching him at night _ nobody had been watching him at night he — nobody had been watching him at night. he wonders at night and there _ night. he wonders at night and there was— night. he wonders at night and there was no care assistant watching _ there was no care assistant watching him. he wandered into somebody's room, and we found out that — somebody's room, and we found out that he — somebody's room, and we found out that he was up on a rape charge _ out that he was up on a rape charge. there was no evidence of anything. and that he was basically— of anything. and that he was basically being accused of being _ basically being accused of being a _ basically being accused of being a sexual and physical abuse _ being a sexual and physical abuse of by the care home. this was what — abuse of by the care home. this was what we had to put up with. we got — was what we had to put up with. we got an— was what we had to put up with. we got an e—mail towards the end of— we got an e—mail towards the end of our— we got an e—mail towards the end of ourweek we got an e—mail towards the end of our week holiday to say we don't — end of our week holiday to say we don't want him, you can come and collect — we don't want him, you can come and collect him, he is ready to id and collect him, he is ready to go home _ and collect him, he is ready to go home. now, i put my mum back

on a _ go home. now, i put my mum back on a train _ go home. now, i put my mum back on a train from harrogate down to london _ on a train from harrogate down to london. if i could have taken _ to london. if i could have taken her out of that situation i taken her out of that situation i would — taken her out of that situation i would have done, i've never seen — i would have done, i've never seen somebody more broken. they are both _ seen somebody more broken. they are both knocking on 80 and i've are both knocking on 80 and i've never— are both knocking on 80 and i've never seen someone more broken _ i've never seen someone more broken who was going home to rescue — broken who was going home to rescue her— broken who was going home to rescue her husband from a care home _ rescue her husband from a care home that _ rescue her husband from a care home that was miles from where she lived — home that was miles from where she lived i— 1510 00:10:19,682