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USE OLYMPICS TO EXPORT BRITAIN’S ENVIED GOLD MEDAL-PERFORMING CONSTRUCTION EXPERTISE.

2012-01-27T10:48:00.000Z

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

January 27, 2012.

USE OLYMPICS TO EXPORT BRITAIN’S ENVIED GOLD MEDAL-PERFORMING CONSTRUCTION EXPERTISE.

Stop criticising and talking down our Olympic achievement – some of the strongest economies in the world are watching Britain and considering what we could bring to future games.

That’s the message from international property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper which says it winces every time there’s any domestically-generated criticism of London 2012 – because from a design, construction and delivery perspective it has been a gold medal-winning performance by Britain.

McBains, which works on public and private sector projects in the UK, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, is urging UK government international trade development teams to wave the flag abroad for UK construction and property businesses who have moved heaven, earth and big pieces of east London to deliver one of the most organised games construction plans ever.

“McBains Cooper already has an alliance in Brazil – the venue for the 2016 games - and we’re working in virtually every country or region, bar Japan, which are candidates for the 2020 games. But whether it’s Rio 2016, or candidates in Spain, Italy, Azerbaijan, Turkey or Qatar for 2020, there’s a common murmuring we hear every time the subject comes up,” said Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of McBains Cooper.

“And that is that everybody involved in construction, whether in Brazil or the 2020 candidate venues, has commented on the success of the planning and construction of everything London games-related – and more often than not it’s accompanied by some positive reference to the UK construction industry, and its professional advisers and consultancies being the best in the world.

“The fact is that in comparison to any other recent major sporting event – and some recent Olympics - London 2012 construction has run far faster and more efficiently. That has been noted by other countries, and, frankly, because of our reputation, British construction and professional consultancy businesses are amongst the very few who can travel the world to help drive and deliver major projects for other venue cities – the Olympics is a fantastic global shop window for British management expertise, design and construction skills, and that expertise can be exported to make other games equally impressive.

“The Office of Budget Responsibility reckons that a good deal of UK economic growth in 2012 will be down to the Olympics – but we shouldn’t be believing the opportunity ends when the last competitor or spectator leaves through Heathrow’s temporary games terminal: it could be the start.

“Anybody with any ability to export British construction expertise should be hot on the heels of those departing, and selling that expertise to the next successful or candidate Olympic venues.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than �100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

HEALTH BILL: IT DOESN’T ADD UP – SOCIAL CARE REFORM IS THE BOTTOM LINE.

2012-01-24T11:47:00.002Z

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

QUOTES

January 24, 2012.

HEALTH BILL: IT DOESN’T ADD UP – SOCIAL CARE REFORM IS THE BOTTOM LINE.

Commenting on today’s growing disagreements about the Health Bill, Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s group Saga, said:

“The government seems to have developed a difficulty in understanding basic maths: it wants to make £20 billion in NHS savings by 2015. The answer is in driving reform of the social care system, and get it joined up with the healthcare system.

“It costs £2,000 a week to keep an elderly person in a hospital bed, but it costs around £550 a week to provide home care or residential care.

“By getting social care sorted the problem will be solved at both ends: the vast majority of hospital admissions among the elderly are down to falls which could have been prevented if a proper social care system was in place, but once an elderly person is in hospital they end up staying there for far too long because the system is far too inefficient to provide for them going home.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

NEW COVERBOX PAY-AS-YOU-DRIVE OWNERS TAKE INSURANCE BACK 350 YEARS.

2012-01-23T13:31:00.000Z

PAY AS YOU DRIVE INSURANCE

PRESS RELEASE

January 23, 2012.

NEW COVERBOX PAY-AS-YOU-DRIVE OWNERS TAKE INSURANCE BACK 350 YEARS.

Pay-as-you-drive car insurer Coverbox has been acquired by new owners - and the new business looks set to take insurance back to the 17^th century.

The new owners – one of whom established Budget Insurance, one of the UK’s most successful intermediaries with more than two million customers – plan to grow the current proposition user base, as well as introduce new insurance rating and charging processes aimed at driving pricing efficiencies, and moving away from the traditional “one price fits each demographic” model.

Coverbox Limited – which has 15,000 customers - will have new offices in Billingham and Peterborough in addition to its current Portsmouth presence, but the nature and structure of the business means there will be no changes to headcount.

Managing Director Johan van der Merwe said: “Coverbox is a telematics-based insurer – we basically monitor and assess the driving behaviour of the vehicle user via on-board technology which enables us to provide a much more accurate rate, and a very specific understanding of risk.

“The amount of information we gather from devices installed in customers’ vehicles – time and location of journeys, driver behaviour during those journeys and so on – means that we are in a position to develop much more bespoke insurance products, personalised to specific drivers.

“It also means we can reward well-behaved drivers – for instance, we all know young drivers who are maniacs behind the wheel, but we also all know young drivers who are incredibly safe and sensible behind the wheel. But the current insurance market lumps them all together as being equally high liability. We can change that.

“In many ways, the latest and developing technology in vehicle insurance actually allows us to go back to the earliest days of insurance, when underwriters sat in dockside coffee houses in the 17^th century and assessed the risk value of each and every ship leaving the port according to cargo, route, season, state of repair of the ship and level of experience of the captain.

“Even just a few years ago, people were wary – and a little scared – of the amount of ‘Big Brother’ information gathered about them, but the younger generations in particular recognise the benefits of person-specific information gathering, and are largely unworried by how their lives are monitored.

“As attitudes change from resistance to change to demand for change, the opportunity for the insurance industry to drive efficiencies, gain trust and develop new products grows.”

Coverbox Limited acquired the Coverbox business asset from technology company Wunelli.

Coverbox pay-as-you-drive insurance allows drivers to take out comprehensive cover paid for by the mile, with the price per mile varying according to the time of the day or night: off-peak, peak or “super-peak” times.

All Coverbox policyholders get free theft tracking – a £200 premium on top of a traditional insurance policy – and have a personal website enabling them to see precisely how many miles they are driving, and what the cost is. The technology behind Coverbox is based on proven equipment specified by several major car makers.

Ends

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

www.coverbox.co.uk

CROSS PARTY CARE TALKS: FORGET POLITICS, FIND SOLUTIONS, SAYS SAGA

2012-01-16T11:01:00.000Z

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

QUOTES

January 16, 2012.

CROSS PARTY CARE TALKS: FORGET POLITICS, FIND SOLUTIONS, SAYS SAGA.

Over-50s organisation Saga says there is no room for political points-scoring in this week’s cross-party talks on care and support.

“The lives of millions of older people and the future of the NHS is at stake here. Politicians in all parties have an historic opportunity to change the way care is funded in future, to help people stay in their own homes if they can, which is what they overwhelmingly want, and to save money for the NHS by caring for them outside the most expensive hospital settings,” said Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of Saga.

“It is desperately important that MPs take the lead in telling Ministers - who have so far proved disappointingly reluctant to grasp the urgency of the issue - that proper care reform cannot wait. There will be a White Paper in the Spring, but this must deliver a clear framework for immediate reform, with a timeline and action, not more fudge.

“Frontline care professionals are already disappointed at the delays, and we would urge whoever is chairing the meeting to stand for no nonsense, no points-scoring and no further hold-ups.

“There are mortal deadlines here, and this must not be forgotten. We are dealing with our most vulnerable citizens. 2012 must not be their year of living anxiously.

“The government needs to recognise that while they may be agonising over the cost, the reality is that people and families who need care appreciate that there’s a cost involved: but the current system is not fit for purpose. Too much is spent via the NHS and too little is devoted to social care by increasingly cash-strapped councils. The Government must deliver on its promises of ensuring millions no longer face the risk of a postcode lottery of care and of losing all their life savings to pay for care costs which taxpayers cover for others. Money for care has not been ring-fenced for care and therefore not being spent on the care that is needed by an increasingly aging population.

“Saga, now the nation's largest provider of home care, has 18,000 carers providing two million hours of care a month, and we have regular contact with millions of over-50s, many of whom are touched by the care issue. And the overriding opinion of virtually every one of them is disbelief that such a vital issue – described by the government itself as ‘urgent’ – can be taking so long to sort out.

“We call on the government to introduce meaningful reforms, encourage people to save for their future care needs and take away the biggest risks of catastrophic care costs, so people have proper incentives to save. We also need to see the Government ensuring that all local authorities are forced to plan properly for the care needs of their constituents - a ten-year plan to cope with the rising costs of caring for older people is an essential reform to ensure councils have to factor the needs of more older people properly into account.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office

01303 771529.

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

MAKE GREEN EXCITING – AND WATCH CASH GROW FROM TREES.

2012-01-13T10:01:00.000Z

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

January 13, 2012.

MAKE GREEN EXCITING – AND WATCH CASH GROW FROM TREES.

Britain

is in danger of taking its eye off the sustainability ball because of the distractions of dealing with the daily pressures of UK economic turmoil – but green could still be the big cash generator of 2012.

“I think there is a very real risk that we will let short-term economic policy move us further behind Europe, and will prevent us from moving further up the global league table of nations driving innovation in sustainable initiatives,” said Mark Leeson, director of property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper.

“There is currently a vast UK estate of not-green-enough commercial property which could be a huge and sudden generator of cash for both the construction sector and building owners: it’s staring us in the face.

“Around three-quarters of today’s commercial property will still be in use by 2020 – and future-proofing them by driving efficiencies through green enhancements could yield 15% on investment values, and raise tenant income by 5%, while also benefitting from green tax incentives. There are also obvious advantages in terms of branding, perceived quality of building and benefits for occupants in terms of health and wellbeing.”

Campbell Devine of McBains Cooper said: “You don’t have to get the calculator out to work out the potential revenue increases and tax benefits by making even just a fraction of the UK’s commercial property more green.

“With the introduction of FITs (Feed-In Tariffs) and RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) there is a business case for even the most demanding investors to embrace green initiatives when retrofitting buildings. Cash can grow from trees.

“The issue is perhaps the legacy of an over-complicated planning approval system, and a lack of a sense of clarity amongst commercial property owners: but things are changing fast, particularly with emphasis on carbon reduction rather than sustainable electricity generation.

“What we need is an injection of excitement into the green construction agenda: a penny-dropping moment when it hits investors that a green approach can move bank accounts out of the red and into the black. For impact, that injection needs to come out of the blue: a concisely-delivered ‘sustainability information bomb’ aimed at investors, and which highlights the brutal cash benefits of future-proofing property.

“‘Green enhancement’ and ‘better green credentials’ often improves tenant quality, occupancy levels, reduces sick leave and increases capital values and the sale-ability of any property. There’s also a growing club of investors who are snapping up older but well-let properties, and which have potential for rejuvenation and retro-fit, providing a contrast to risky new development caught by the potential impasse as the Government considers its position in relation to changes to the planning system.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

WHIPLASH CLAIMS: THOUSANDS OF CARS ALREADY FITTED WITH THE TECH TO MEASURE LEVEL OF IMPACT

2012-01-12T12:57:00.000Z

COVERBOX

PAY AS YOU DRIVE INSURANCE

PRESS RELEASE

January 12, 2012.

WHIPLASH CLAIMS: THOUSANDS OF CARS ALREADY FITTED WITH THE TECH TO MEASURE LEVEL OF IMPACT.

Technology which can measure the level of impact in traffic accidents – and help determine the likelihood of whiplash injuries – is already installed in thousands of vehicles insured by pay-as-you-drive telematics-based car insurers.

When insuring a vehicle, Coverbox, which pioneered the latest generation of telematics insurance technology, installs equipment which tracks every single movement of that vehicle.

Commenting on government plans to address fraudulent insurance claims for whiplash, Johan van de Merwe, Managing Director of pay-as-you-drive telematics-based car insurer Coverbox, said:

“When a driver takes out an insurance policy with a telematics insurer, we install a small box which records the distance the vehicle covers, and charge accordingly.

“But the equipment also records many more parameters – including acceleration, deceleration, speed, and so on - which helps us determine driving standards. But telematic insurers can also use the equipment to measure the magnitude of an impact which can serve as a very useful guide in distinguishing claims needing investigation from those where a high probability of whiplash exists.

“One of the reasons telematics insurance is always going to be more accurately priced – obviously to the benefit of careful drivers – is because we have that absolutely accurate information about driving behaviour, which allows us to be far more discerning in terms of who we insure.”

Coverbox pay-as-you-drive insurance allows drivers to take out comprehensive cover that is paid for by the mile, with the price per mile varying according to the time of the day or night: off-peak, peak or “super-peak” times.

Over-23s are charged according to rush hour (Mon to Fri 730am – 930am & 430pm to 600pm excluding public holidays) or off-peak use, but under-23s are also subject to a “super-peak” charging structure: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 1100pm to 500am, and public holidays 1100pm to 500am.

All Coverbox policyholders get free theft tracking – which would be at least £200 more on top of a traditional insurance policy – in addition they have a personal website which enables them to see precisely how many miles they are driving, and what the cost of those miles is.

The technology behind Coverbox is based on proven equipment specified by several major car makers, and means customers will also have the additional peace of mind of theft tracking: in virtually all cases, Coverbox can track and locate the car if it is stolen.

Ends

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

www.coverbox.co.uk

MORE THAN HALF OF PEOPLE SAY ELDERLY RELATIVES NEED MORE HOME HELP

2012-01-11T11:18:00.001Z

SAGA HOMECARE

PRESS RELEASE

January 11, 2012.

MORE THAN HALF OF PEOPLE SAY ELDERLY RELATIVES NEED MORE HOME HELP.

29% of people who saw elderly relatives
over the Christmas period say they noticed a deterioration in their condition since last seeing them.

People who visited elderly relatives over Christmas and New Year say that they were faced with a double-whammy of worry.

Independent research carried out for Saga Homecare showed that 54% of families thought their elderly relatives needed more home help, and 29% said they’d noticed a deterioration in the physical or mental health of older family members since they last saw them before the Christmas break.

“Our research showed that 29%** of people visiting their elderly relatives over the Christmas period noticed a deterioration in their condition, and more than half (54%**) felt that their loved-ones could do with a little extra help around the home,” said John Ivers, Chief Executive, Saga Homecare.

“However, while 29% was the national average, the figure was significantly higher in Wales where 49% of families surveyed said they noticed a deterioration in their relative’s health, and 60% of families said they believed elderly relatives needed more home help.”

Families are far more likely to notice changes in the health of elderly relatives at Christmas. In a recent survey of more than 11,000 over-50s for Saga Homecare, families admitted that they spent more than twice as much time with elderly relatives over the Christmas period than usual*. This increased contact leads many families to realise that their loved one may need more help in and around the home.

“Whether this is a decrease in their mobility or mental state, or in their ability to carry out general day to day tasks, it is certainly a wake up call for many families. Whilst it may not be practical to spend more time with elderly relatives this year, getting them a little help around the home could be the answer to ensuring loved-ones can remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

Notes to editors

Saga Homecare is the UK’s largest provider of domiciliary care with 18,000 carers providing some 2million hours of care each month.

Information about Saga Homecare can be requested on 0800 046 8568

*Research carried out by Populus who interviewed 10,889 Saga customers, all aged 50+, online between 11th November and 17th November 2011. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules; for more information see www.populus.co.uk.

Regional split of the amount of time people normally spend with elderly relatives/ friends over a typical month

	London	South East	South West	West Midlands	East Midlands	North West	North East	Yorks& Humber	East Anglia	Scotland	Wales	Northern Ireland
Mean number of days	2.58	2.76	2.79	3.18	2.90	3.30	3.28	3.10	2.78	3.14	3.10	2.84

**Research carried out amongst 1007 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4^th – 5^th January 2012. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

BRITAIN’S CITIES LOVE THEMSELVES, SAYS MCBAINS COOPER

2012-01-10T09:25:00.000Z

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

January 10, 2012.

BRITAIN

’S CITIES LOVE THEMSELVES, SAYS MCBAINS COOPER.

Images available.

Britain

’s cities love themselves more than ever before, according to property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper.

The firm is involved in a number of inner-city residential redevelopment projects – with several recently completed – but has noticed in each case there is something missing.

“The common factor is that there’s a marked reduction of litter, fly tipping, vandalism and graffiti – and a great deal of pride being shown by residents in regenerated and redeveloped housing estates up and down the country,” said Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of McBains Cooper.

“Three typical examples in which we are involved are Anderston in Glasgow, Shiregreen in Sheffield and Rose Hill in Oxford. Each has origins in eras when design and development considerations were not at their sharpest – but in each case the project outcome has been a massive improvement.

“The result is that each has generated a strong feeling of community and pride amongst residents – and by going the extra mile in each case, working with the developers, we have created residential areas the people want to look after. And that has a hidden benefit – an ongoing cost-saving arising from local authorities or building owners not having to constantly repair or replace damaged or neglected property.”

The Rose Hill Redevelopment – which involved replacement and redevelopment of poor-quality housing, and construction of 259 new homes - has been awarded Winner of the New Buildings Category at the Oxford Preservation Trust Awards. McBains Cooper is Employer’s Agent on the project.

The project was voted into top slot for demonstrating Oxford City Council’s commitment to housing and to improving Rose Hill for its community.

Oxford Preservation Trust's aim is to preserve and enhance the historic city of Oxford and its green setting. The Trust’s annual awards scheme recognises projects that make a significant contribution to the conservation and improvement of the built or natural environment of Oxford.

Meanwhile, McBains Cooper was part of the Sanctuary Housing Association team behind the “Streetscene” element of the project in Shiregreen, Sheffield, which involved a massive makeover of the public areas of the estate – a project which was shortlisted in The Sustainable Housing Awards “Transformation” category.

And in Scotland McBains Cooper are project managers on the five-phase residential rebuild of Anderston – notorious for its poor-quality tower-blocks - working with client Sanctuary Housing, where a sculpture of Billy Connolly is high up on the elevation overlooking Glasgow, and the well-kept first phase.

“Such was the attention to detail during the project as a whole that the team even designed one apartment specifically for the needs of one family, and the gratitude and delight of the residents at that sort of effort - plus the overall finished product – has been clearly signalled by how well kept the whole area is,” said Alan Hannah of McBains Cooper in Glasgow.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

PERSONAL TRAINER HELPS DOORMEN PREPARE FOR 4.8 TONS OF JANUARY SALE DOOR SWINGING

2012-01-03T14:28:00.000Z

HOUSING UNITS

PRESS RELEASE

January 3, 2012.

PERSONAL TRAINER HELPS DOORMEN PREPARE FOR 4.8 TONS OF JANUARY SALE DOOR SWINGING.

A north Manchester furnishings and gifts store has brought in a personal trainer to help its top-hatted doormen get to grips with the demands of winter shopping customer stampedes.

Frank Hodgson and Peter Brooks will hold doors open for Housing Units customers as often as 5,463 times a day each during peak Christmas and January sales shopping days - 364 times an hour, once every six seconds, assuming an average party size of two people entering and leaving the store – but will be even busier during the winter sale.

Now Housing Units’ personnel team has brought in personal trainer Kate Wright from Oldham gym Heavenly Bodies to coach the doormen in the best way to avoid injury or muscle damage from their exertions, which, assuming average push or pull of a door being the equivalent to lifting 20lbs, means around 4.8 tons of door being moved each working day at peak time.

“Customers enjoy the door-opening experience, so will often hang back a little to get their own exclusive service, with some even taking photos. This is an enjoyable experience all round, but, of course, during peak hours can mean there’s a massive amount of door swinging – and that means flexing muscles that don’t normally get flexed so frequently,” said Nick Fox of Housing Units.

“With the perfect storm of peak customer traffic, both doormen deployed, movement both in and out of the store involving people with shopping and buggies, plus requests for directions, it could quickly descend into chaos if the doormen start flagging.

“Footfall is on average 25,500 a week during the run up to Christmas, but while that equates to an average of 1,821 door openings a day, twice a minute for each doorman, at peak times door opening rate can be three times as high. working day.

“But customer traffic during the sales can be even higher, so we need to ensure the doormen are in peak condition”.

Housing Units - known for its top-hatted doormen - was established in 1947.

It is a family-owned furnishings retailer based in Wickentree Lane, Failsworth, Manchester M35 9BA, next to Junction 22 of the M60. It stocks 30,000 high-quality lines across a range of departments in two buildings and a crescent of specialist shops, and prides itself on its unique style of customer service, the value of its goods and the shopping experience it provides.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

0161 929 0446/07788 978800

CARE CRISIS: GOVERNMENT REDEFINES “URGENT PRIORITY” SAYS OVER-50S GROUP SAGA.

2012-01-03T14:15:00.000Z

SAGA

QUOTES

January 3, 2012.

CARE CRISIS: GOVERNMENT REDEFINES “URGENT PRIORITY” SAYS OVER-50S GROUP SAGA.

Commenting on the letter in the Daily Telegraph highlighting the impending care crisis, Saga's head of communications, Paul Green said:

“The delays in social care reform are provoking a critical condition affecting both the care system and the NHS.

“The government says it is an ‘urgent priority’, but it seems to have redefined both words. Coalition Ministers and Shadows alike have been saying it is an urgent priority since well before the 2010 General Election. The credibility of each and every politician hiding behind that faux furrowed-brow statement falls with each utterance.

“‘Urgent priority’ means immediate identification of a problem, immediate proposal of a solution, and immediate implementation of that solution. We’ve seen it with almost-instant changes in gun law and youth unemployment policy, and breast implants could well become the next health issue to be fast-tracked.

“Each of those affects far fewer people – so it remains an utter mystery why an issue affecting not just individuals but their families too, every single one of which is up against a mortal deadline, warrants a different and more sedate definition of ‘urgent priority’.

“Andrew Dilnot has provided some workable and realistic proposals for care funding and support, but that the government has barely uttered his name since July makes us fear for the mortality of those proposals.

“We fear further delay, we fear a damp squib. The tone of Mr Burstow in his statement that plans to change the system will be announced in the spring suggests the government may not consider the care issue to be either ‘urgent’ or ‘a priority’.

"2012 must be a year of action not of delay." Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

TOUGH TIMES BOOST HOTEL DEVELOPMENT MARKET FOR MCBAINS COOPER.

2012-01-03T14:07:00.000Z

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

January 3, 2012.

TOUGH TIMES BOOST HOTEL DEVELOPMENT MARKET FOR MCBAINS COOPER.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper says that the tough economic climate appears to be actually boosting the hotel development market.

Richard Fewings of McBains Cooper says there has been no fall off in enquiries from hotel developers over the past 12 months, and, if anything, they’re on the increase.

McBains’ hotel team is seeing a distinct pattern emerging: four-star business and conference venue hotels in and around London, and three-star “crash-pad” hotels across the rest of the country.

“The downturn is, ironically, working well for the hotel market: hotels are becoming essential tools of business and client development, with more people spending more time away drumming up business, and more companies bringing their people together for motivational, intelligence-sharing or brainstorming meetings all aimed at making the most of every opportunity,” said Richard Fewings.

“Business-focussed hotels are benefitting from high fuel charges and rail fares: staying over away from home, just outside major cities, between meetings, often costs a fraction of the price of the fuel to go to and fro.

“Anybody in business who has to travel to London from around the country also knows that the most time-efficient fares – peak-time travel – cost around £240 standard and £350 first class, Leeds or Manchester-London return, for instance.

“But the key is the new breed of super-efficient hotels, high on sustainability and recyclable energy. Yes, hotels are closing, but they’re largely older hotels which are in the right place but have a legacy of age-old design which can make some of them many times more expensive to run per square foot compared to something designed and developed today.

“Older hotels were edifices and landmarks, luxury was built-in, crafted and carved, and are often difficult to modernise. Modern hotels are largely pre-packaged, fast to go up, massively efficient.”

One example is McBains Cooper’s newest project – it has been appointed to provide M&E, cost management and project management on a multi-million pound hotel project in Shepherd’s Bush, London, for Kosmopolito Hotels.

The seven-storey, four-star hotel will sit behind the listed façade of a former cinema building and will include 242 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar and gym.

“This is an exciting project, because we have a listed façade, but a core structure which will use the newest techniques and materials, creating something both attractive and efficient,” said Richard Fewings.

Kosmopolito currently owns and manages four brands in different market segments; the upscale Kosmopolito brand, Boutique Series by Kosmopolito, four-star business hotel Dorsett Regency and value hotel Silka, with a total of 29 hotels across Asia - in Singapore, Malaysia, Johor, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu and Wuhan.

This is the first hotel for Kosmopilto in London, which is expected to be under the Dorsett Regency brand.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

BILLY CONNOLLY: MADE IN SCOTLAND FROM SCULPTED STEEL BARS, AND HUNG FROM A WEE BUILDING IN ANDERSTON

2011-12-12T17:31:00.000Z

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

December 14, 2011.

BILLY CONNOLLY: MADE IN SCOTLAND FROM SCULPTED STEEL BARS, AND HUNG FROM A WEE BUILDING IN ANDERSTON.

Billy Connolly sculpture video. http://bit.ly/vLq6eV

Anderston residential project: the challenges video: http://bit.ly/ut0NsJ

Anderston – the next stages, video: http://bit.ly/vxHop5

Links to photos http://bit.ly/vkEhZN

Made in Scotland from girders … not quite, but a sculpture of Big Yin Billy Connolly has been created in metalwork to signal the completion of the first phase of a landmark McBains Cooper project-managed residential housing project in his home town of Anderston, Glasgow.

The sculpture, made from steel bars by renowned north-of-the-border artist Andy Scott, is hung high on an elevation of the first phase to be completed.

And while Glasgow’s most famous son couldn’t make it to the unveiling of a ground level commemorative plaque marking the occasion, a big crowd of locals and media did.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper are project managers on the five phase residential rebuild of Anderston, working with client Sanctuary Housing, and the sculpture of Billy Connolly is high up on the elevation overlooking Glasgow.

Such was the attention to detail during the project as a whole that the team even designed one apartment specifically for the needs of one family, and the gratitude and delight of the residents at that sort of effort - plus the overall finished product – has been clearly signalled by how well kept the whole area is.

“We occasionally get celebrities turning up at launches and openings, but it’ll be nice to drive past the sculpture of the Big Yin every day and be reminded that we played a part in putting Anderston back on the map – after Billy Connolly did it first time round,” said Alan Hannah of McBains Cooper.

The project involves the demolition of a number of 1960s housing blocks in the Glasgow suburb, but has proven to be a massive logistical challenge for the McBains Cooper and Sanctuary teams.

“The key issues here are that the work is going on in amongst a number of schools and nurseries, while also being surrounded by occupied homes – so not only have the logistics of getting into the sites been taxing the grey matter, there has also been the issue of moving families out and into nearby accommodation, and then into the completed Phase One apartment complex,” said Alan Hannah.

“But we know we’ve got it right, firstly because the local residents were surveyed and asked what they wanted and needed in the area – a target we delivered against – but secondly because you don’t have to go far through the area to see how well-kept and looked-after the communal areas are.

“This is one of those incredibly complex but equally incredibly satisfying projects that’s clearly making a vast difference to life in Anderston. And with the Big Yin looking down on us, we wouldn’t dare get it wrong.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

CARERS RIGHTS DAY: WHEN WILL CARE REACH THE TOP OF THE GOVERNMENT’S AGENDA?

2011-12-01T11:16:00.000Z

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

QUOTES

December 1, 2011.

CARERS RIGHTS DAY: WHEN WILL CARE REACH THE TOP OF THE GOVERNMENT’S AGENDA?

Commenting ahead of Carers Rights Day on December 2, Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s organisation Saga, said:

“Unless something passed me by, I don’t recall seeing or hearing anything in the Autumn Statement that would give clear and direct support for carers – and don’t forget carers are a group of people who provide a service and support that would otherwise cost the government, and the taxpayer, £80 billion a year.

“Some acknowledgment would be nice, some hope would have been inspirational, but some funding would have been better. The theme for Carers Rights Day 2011 is ‘Money Matters’ – and it does.

“The government appears to be working its way through the issues, youth unemployment, pensions and so on, so maybe carers are on the list for imminent attention – but one can’t help but think there’s a pervading degree of complacency amongst the directly-unaffected, because carers actually just get on with things with little or no fuss and few demands.

“In fact, so short have we been on action or news with regard to addressing the issue of care funding and support overall – with a yawning silence on matters relating to the recommendations of Andrew Dilnot for instance – that we have decided to shake things up ourselves by running a second thought leadership seminar before Christmas.

“There is a core group of us who are determined to make care a top-of-the-agenda item, and we will push and shove until it is.

“But in the current economic circumstances, a key and ironic point is that if the government did apply itself to a proper look at addressing the care crisis, then it would have a significant and positive impact on budget issues: sort out social care, give carers the support they need, free up NHS hospital beds, unburden healthcare professionals, create time – and save money.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

HOME CARE CRISIS “AS BIG AS A CITY” ”: MORE SHAMEFUL AND SHOCKING EVIDENCE

2011-11-23T10:24:00.000Z

DR ROS ALTMANN

@SagaRosAltmann

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

PRESS RELEASE

November 23, 2011.

HOME CARE CRISIS “AS BIG AS A CITY” ”: MORE SHAMEFUL AND SHOCKING EVIDENCE SHOWS REAL IMPACT OF CARE CUTS.

RADICAL REFORM IS LONG OVERDUE

The government is failing to act to head off a home care crisis “as big as a city” despite constant and overwhelming evidence from an avalanche of reports.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission and Care Quality Commission have highlighted again the poor standards of social care suffered by many older people – primarily caused by huge, and growing, shortfalls in local authority care budgets.

“Of course, there is wonderful care out there, but as councils keep cutting care budgets, standards can only get worse: hardly a week goes by without another damning report into the treatment of the elderly and vulnerable in this country. But so far, nothing has actually been done to address the reality of the day-to-day indignities many older people endure,” said Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s organisation Saga.

“Today's report, from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, says that 250,000 older people – the equivalent of the population of a city the size of Derby or Southampton - are receiving poor or very poor standards of home care including verbal and physical abuse, near-cursory 15-minute ‘task-ticking’ visits– there should be a statutory minimum way higher than that - and little or no help in eating and drinking.

“But as the EHRC points out, the figure may actually be higher because many more may well be too frightened to complain. What’s more, that’s just home care: one element of a social care system which is becoming deluged as we live longer lives.

“The government knows about these issues – how can they not, as they are continually presented with evidence of a care system in crisis? Predictable pre-packaged Ministerial responses expressing outrage and pledging action are not enough.

“Let me ask this: when was the last time we saw any decisive action – as opposed to talk?

“Of course, we welcome the CQC’s proposed home care inspection plans, as well as any move which will help improve the quality and consistency of care – and consequently the quality of life – for our older generations. But the CQC has stopped inspecting the local authority commissioners themselves. If we do not tackle the root cause of the problem - inadequate resources for care - how can we expect decent care?

“We need to properly fund our care system and revere it as much as we do the NHS. We need a consistent regulatory and monitoring system that promotes and encourages best practice, not inconsistent and unprepared knee-jerk responses.

“The question needs to be asked just who monitors the local authority commissioners? They are putting pressure on care providers to offer the lowest priced possible care - and it should be obvious that 15 minute visits make it impossible to deliver adequate care. How do we get health and homecare to work in tandem, and get people back in their own home where they want to be and where care is most cost effective?

“It is vital that we drive the retention of some excellent people who do a tremendous job - the vast silent majority who never get a mention in dispatches. We need to promote care as a career and a profession, and highlight the requirement for best practice, and applaud it where we see it.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

IRON MAIDEN’S BRUCE DICKINSON REVEALS HIS POST-ASTRAEUS AIRLINES PLAN.

2011-11-22T14:25:00.000Z

BRUCE DICKINSON

PRESS RELEASE

November 22, 2011.

IRON MAIDEN’S BRUCE DICKINSON REVEALS HIS POST-ASTRAEUS AIRLINES PLAN.

Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden singer and airline pilot, will be doing more rather than less in the aviation industry following the closure of Astraeus Airlines with whom he was a Boeing 757 captain.

Gatwick-based Astraeus went into administration on Monday, November 21, 2011 – and by coincidence Dickinson was captain on the very last flight, operated on behalf of bmi, from Jeddah to Manchester.

Bruce Dickinson said: “I’m amused that the less well informed seem to be portraying me as having to resort to busking on the streets following the closure of Astraeus. The more astute members of my circle are aware there’s rather more going on in my world.

“Firstly, I’m already working on a plan to try to save Astraeus, or at least create a new business with new jobs for my friends and former colleagues at Astraeus. This is a serious plan involving people who are very good at their jobs.

“Frankly, now Astraeus has been relieved of the business model imposed upon it by Icelandic owners, who, to be honest, perhaps did not fully appreciate the way the key commercial aviation markets operated, I see the potential for a viable operation should acquisition of the company prove achievable. There is no reason why the original business model, which established Astraeus as possibly the best and most successful organisation in its sector, cannot be resurrected to the benefit of former employees and airline partners and clients alike.

“Secondly, I am also involved in a project which could mean the creation of as many as 1,500 jobs in aerospace in South Wales. That could be a very good news story.

“Thirdly, I’m a long way into the development of a flight training company – Real World Aviation - which will be perfectly placed to help address the aviation industry’s perennial challenge: producing new and qualified pilots. For some reason, even in difficult economic times, there is still a shortage of qualified commercial pilots

“I’m extremely upbeat about these opportunities, particularly the potential for a revival, in some form, of Astraeus. The removal of Icelandic ownership from the mix has removed a huge burden and barrier to the redevelopment potential. The enthusiasm is also fuelled by the deluge of messages I received from the second I switched on my phone after landing the last Astraeus flight on Monday, and, of course, the interest of a number of prospective investors.

“I will be back at the controls of a commercial airliner before I am very much older – but I may also be at the controls of the company that operates that airliner, and others like it.”

Ends

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

YES – BRING BACK CHEQUE GUARANTEE CARDS, SAYS SAGA.

2011-11-16T12:23:00.000Z

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA.

@SagaRosAltmann

QUOTES.

November 16, 2011.

YES – BRING BACK CHEQUE GUARANTEE CARDS, SAYS SAGA.

Commenting on news that the Payments Council is reviewing the possible reintroduction of the cheque guarantee card, Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s group Saga, welcomed the move, saying:

“This would be a fantastic development for several groups of people. Older people do like to use cheques rather than credit or debit cards – many over-50s have lived with cheques for virtually their entire lives, and don’t quite trust electronic methods of moving of money, but, equally, don’t like carrying cash around. Small businesses or tradesmen also often rely on cheques for payment and would sometimes struggle without the security of a guarantee card.

“Of course, the decision earlier this year to keep cheques as a means of payment was great news, Saga had been calling for this for a long time, but it was never quite as great as it could have been, Without a cheque guarantee card the vast majority of businesses were reluctant – or even refused point blank – to accept cheques as a means of payment.

“Younger generations are far more comfortable with change and innovation – and view electronic movement of money as convenient – but older generations haven’t quite accepted, and often simply don’t understand or have the means to move money in a digital world.

“I sometimes wonder if older people choose not to spend at all rather than use processes they don’t like or understand, so, in a small way, providing them with a way of spending may have positive effects on the economy too.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

UNLAWFUL LOCAL AUTHORITY CARE BUDGET CUTS: PREPARE FOR THE LEGAL CHALLENGE DELUGE, SAYS SAGA.

2011-11-11T13:05:00.000Z

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA.

@SagaRosAltmann

QUOTES.

November 11, 2011.

UNLAWFUL LOCAL AUTHORITY CARE BUDGET CUTS: PREPARE FOR THE LEGAL CHALLENGE DELUGE, SAYS SAGA.

Commenting on this week’s court cases in which at least two local authorities have been told that cutting of freezing fees to cover the cost of social care for the elderly and disabled is unlawful, Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s group Saga, said:

“Until the Government properly recognises the need to fund social care properly, these challenges will keep coming and local authorities will remain under pressure. Consider this: A hospital bed costs around £2,000 a week. A week’s social care - whether in a care home or domiciliary - costs between £400 and £700 depending upon needs and location.

”We have to take a step back and consider the bigger picture: in the space of just a few days a number of local authorities have been told that cutting or freezing budgets to spend on the most vulnerable in our society is unlawful. This leaves all councils with a huge problem and will potentially leave local authority budgets in chaos.

“The local authorities have been forced into this position because of cutbacks and austerity measures - they are in a very difficult position; but the victims are the people who are least able to fend for themselves.

“This, now -bearing in mind we are aware of further impending legal challenges and court cases of this nature - surely sends a signal to government and policymakers that the social care funding issue needs to move swiftly to the top of the agenda.

“The cases and judgments this week are individual victories, but they are also precedents for other claims and challenges.

“That means there is now every danger that the social care and legal systems could well be swamped with costly and time-consuming claims and challenges. The key is unlocking and unblocking the social care system with proper investment and commitment, releasing NHS beds by taking the elderly and vulnerable out of hospitals and back into the community, and saving billions of pounds. The sooner we grasp this nettle with proper radical reform, the better.

“Social care must be valued more highly - since it can be just as life-threatening to withhold social care from those who need it, as it would be to withhold medical care.”

Ends

For further information:

Contact: Dr. Ros Altmann - 07545 504 513 or Saga Press Office 01303 771529.

LEGAL TEAMS SCRAMBLED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS HIGH COURT RULES COUNCIL CARE FEE FREEZES ARE UNLAWFUL.

2011-11-09T14:27:00.000Z

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

@SagaRosAltmann

QUOTES.

November 9, 2011.

LEGAL TEAMS SCRAMBLED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS HIGH COURT RULES COUNCIL CARE FEE FREEZES ARE UNLAWFUL.

Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s group Saga, commenting on the ruling today, November 9, 2011, in the High Court that Sefton Council’s decision to freeze fees for people needing care in the borough is unlawful:

“I expect many local authorities have been taken aback by this ruling, and quite a few legal and financial teams scrambled to assess what could be a massive impact upon the way councils fund care for older people, and how this ruling could reach far and wide.

“Once again the old and vulnerable are in the news as being on the receiving end of care and support shortfalls - but on this occasion their representatives have bitten back and bitten hard.

“Rather than rising to the challenge of funding the extra care needs of our ageing population, local authorities are continually cutting the care needs they will cover, leaving frail older people to fend for themselves - even freezing funding in the face of significant cost rises. This is an outrage and has rightly been declared illegal.

“In its ruling today that it is unlawful for local authorities to freeze care funding in this way purely to cut its own costs and without regard to the actual cost of providing care, the High Court has certainly put the cat among the pigeons. The flawed funding system of social care in England is being brutally exposed and the impact of local authority cuts and lack of long term funding is leaving increasing numbers of vulnerable older people without adequate care.

“The problem is one that has been highlighted so many times recently and stems from the fundamental fact that social care is the poor relation in our health system - and is not integrated with the NHS. Social care is largely run and funded by local authorities, whose budgets are being squeezed as never before, even while demand for care is rising inexorably year on year.

“But that leaves us with the underlying problem that local authorities do not have enough money to pay for proper care and, while resources are all focussed on the NHS, care is being neglected - and thus those needing care are also neglected.

“When will we wake up to the challenges and threats of such severe care underfunding?

“We need a radical overhaul of the whole system and the Dilnot review sets out a credible framework for action. This must include ringfencing public funding, better integration between NHS and social care, investment in prevention and early intervention, as well as an end to across-the-board care cutbacks by local authorities.

“Inadequate social care can be just as life-threatening as withholding medical care, especially for our increasing numbers of older people, yet somehow public money places all the emphasis on just one part of the picture.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

CARE BILL SHORTFALL COULD DOUBLE TO £2 BILLION AS JUDGE RULES COUNCIL FREEZE ON CARE PAYMENTS TO ELDERLY IS UNLAWFUL.

2011-11-09T14:18:00.000Z

SEFTON CARE ASSOCIATION

PRESS RELEASE

November 9, 2011.

CARE BILL SHORTFALL COULD DOUBLE TO £2 BILLION AS JUDGE RULES COUNCIL FREEZE ON CARE PAYMENTS TO ELDERLY IS UNLAWFUL.

Copies of judgment and solicitor’s summary available on request.

The potential shortfall in the budget for care of the elderly in England and Wales could well have instantly doubled to £2 billion after a High Court judge ruled that Sefton Council broke the law when it froze payments covering the cost of care for elderly people in care homes.

The landmark decision could affect 140 local authorities which froze or reduced care payments to thousands of care home residents, but it could mean care support justice for older people who have been forced to raid their savings or assets to cover the cost of good quality and dignified care.

His Honour Judge Raynor QC ruled in the High Court in Manchester on November 9, 2011, that Sefton Council - a typical middle-sized authority - should not have frozen payment levels to 1,600 elderly people in care in the borough, and that it did not pay due regard to the actual cost of covering care in making its unilateral decision.

The claimants against Sefton Council’s decision to freeze payments were Sefton Care Association, Melton Health Care Limited, Westcliffe Manor Nursing Home, Benridge Care Homes Limited and Craignair Care Home. The financially-constrained action brought backing by both independent and charity-based providers in the local community.

Elderly residents, many with dementia, and their families, have been forced to top up the growing difference between Sefton Council’s frozen payment contribution level and the actual cost of care. The last time Sefton increased fees was April 2009. That means they have been frozen at the April 2009 rates ever since.

The judicial review and judgement relates specifically to the current year freeze, April 2011 to March 2012. Sefton Council claims to have saved £1.5m by not increasing fees by the proposed 2%. The claimants will now seek to reclaim the lost portion of fees to meet the actual cost of care which could be significantly higher, and at the very least in line with inflation of 4.5%. That alone will cost the Sefton around £3.4m, and, with the next year's budget now in sight, the cost may not stop there - inflation is now over 5% so next year this will climb to £3.75m, meaning a total of £7.15m additional cost to Sefton.

The King’s Fund recently suggested care funding would have a £1 billion shortfall by 2014. But if each of the 140 local authorities affected receives claims for similar shortfalls – Sefton appearing to have an average-sized population of elderly in care - then this could mean around an additional £1 billion would need to be found.

Judge Raynor said that care homes in the Sefton area should have been allowed to substantiate their concerns over the two-year payment freeze, and that the local authority in question was under a duty to consult with residential care providers locally. Failure to do so made the payment freeze decision unlawful.

Dan Lingard, Chairman of Sefton Care Association, and owner of Birch Abbey Care Home in Southport, said: “This win gives us no great pleasure – but it does provide a tremendous sense of justice for the most vulnerable of people. It is an action which should not have had to be taken out in the first place, but clearly has massive implications for care. It may well be the tipping point which re-prioritises the way care is funded and provided in this country.

“We may well be living and operating in a very tough economic environment, but the Judge has effectively ruled that the financial environment is not a good enough reason for a council to impose a freeze on payments to massively vulnerable people.

“The courts have ruled that the council’s decision to freeze payments is unlawful, and we await an urgent and positive response from Sefton Council confirming that they will now re-make this decision with an increase in funding.

“There are hundreds of vulnerable people affected and the council needs to act swiftly.

“A key issue, given the state of care funding in the UK, is that many people and their families may have had to sell assets to pay for the inflation-affected widening gap between what the local authority paid and what the cost of care actually is.

“We’re now looking for Sefton Council to respond with some sort of offer in terms of increased fees for 2011/12. We also expect Sefton Council to agree to implement the findings of an independent assessment of the actual cost of care in Sefton. The Sefton Care Association is prepared to raise funds to contribute towards this. But, crucially, we want to see a new and meaningful consultation process replacing the current now discredited approach.”

Dan Lingard is chairman of Sefton Care Association, Chief Executive of Melton Health Care Limited - which operates Birch Abbey Care Home in Southport - and a nationally-noted dementia care innovator. He founded the iPersonally approach to dementia care, and is a regular speaker on dementia care innovation and technology development.

Further quotes from Dan Lingard:

“Critical budget savings at the NHS are being put at risk by a rising tide of elderly needing admission to hospital due to a withdrawal of social care services.

“The elderly and their families are falling victim to a vicious circle of neglect as the NHS and local authorities struggle to provide anything but emergency care for the most vulnerable.

“Inflation is killing the elderly and the vulnerable as services are being cut to providing for only the most needy as Local Authorities up and own the country fight to resolve budget cuts made worse by high inflation.

“Many care home owners up and down the country are hanging on by a thread as the third year of freezes and cuts in fees start to take their toll. In financial terms, this ruling could dwarf the Southern Cross bankruptcy; there is real concern local authorities in their dominant, near-monopoly buying position may have pushed charity as well as commercial operators too far for too long.”

Ends

For further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

@Press_Relations

BED-BLOCKING: THE CARE CRISIS LAID BARE - AGAIN

2011-11-08T10:14:00.000Z

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

@SagaRosAltmann

QUOTES

November 8, 2011.

BED-BLOCKING: THE CARE CRISIS LAID BARE - AGAIN.

Dr Ros Altmann, Director General of over-50s group Saga, commenting on the rising level of “bed blocking” in

England

, said:

“Radical reform seems to be being applied to every aspect of our lives – except care. Why? The benefits – blindingly obvious - could be financially and socially life-changing.

“On average, a hospital bed costs £255 a day – and there were 128,500 patient days of delay in getting people, mainly elderly and vulnerable, back home or into the social care system in August and September 2011 alone. Don’t bother reaching for the calculator – it’s clearly a massive cost, is growing, and equates to just one-sixth of the year.

“This country is wasting billions of pounds paying for older people to be cared for in the most expensive and often most inappropriate places – hospital wards - instead of ensuring they are looked after in their own home or a care home.

“Not only would costs be slashed, it would be vastly more dignified and comfortable for all concerned. We need that radical overhaul of care funding, and proper integration between health and care systems for the increasing numbers of older people in the

“The Andrew Dilnot care funding report ball has clearly been kicked deep into the long grass. Somebody needs to go get it – which would surely help in unlocking the care crisis, yet another facet of which is laid bare here.

“We need to get people out of hospital faster and into the care system rather than staying in hospital longer than they need to, which is worse for them - and much worse for the NHS - or better still, avoid hospital admission in the first place.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

WHERE ARE GRANDPARENTS’ RIGHTS GOING? DR ROS ALTMANN, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF SAGA, COMMENTS ON NORGROVE FAMILY LAW REVIEW.

2011-11-04T13:17:00.000Z

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

@SagaRosAltmann

QUOTES

November 4, 2011.

WHERE ARE GRANDPARENTS’ RIGHTS GOING? DR ROS ALTMANN, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF SAGA, COMMENTS ON NORGROVE FAMILY LAW REVIEW.

Dr Ros Altmann, Director General of over 50s group Saga, commenting on the Family Law Review, said:

“As the official Family Law Review is published, there is one element that is conspicuous by its absence: Grandparents' rights.

“David Norgrove’s comment that ‘not all grandparents are good grandparents’ may be true, but to leave it to the whim of a couple at the centre of an acrimonious divorce, to ensure grandparents' rights are properly represented in court will have far reaching effects and will deny many grandparents - and of course their grandchildren, the chance to experience that special love and bond that so many take for granted. Family life and family relationships can extend very importantly beyond just parents and their children. Older generations have so much to contribute to their families.

“In his report, David Norgrove stated that: ‘There is no evidence that courts unreasonably refuse the ability of a grandparent to bring an application for contact with their grandchildren’.

“However, the constant flow of letters into Saga Magazine implies that whilst this might be the case, the process is extremely difficult and many grandparents simply can't face a court fight that they feel may be unfairly stacked against them. They had hoped that the law would recognise the importance of their rights properly.

“Many of the comments we receive are from grandparents who have reached the end of their tether.

“The relationship between a grandchild and a grandparent can be an extremely special one, and can provide consistency for a child when the family unit breaks down.

“This Review rightly points out that decisions should be made in the best interests of the child, however to give one adult ‘rights’ to access that can be withdrawn by the courts, whilst all others have to fight for any right to maintain a relationship with their child or grandchild is surely wrong.

“Many grandparents tell us that they have supported their grandchildren throughout their lives, only to find themselves bereft of any contact once the relationship breaks down. To have this contact arbitrarily withdrawn can cause irreparable emotional damage for everybody concerned.

“Of course, coming to an amicable solution outside of the court process would be better for everybody concerned, and the measures put in place to help couples in these cases will be useful for some.

“However judging by the number of acrimonious divorce cases that involve access to children every year, this review has made little difference and has dashed the hopes of the grandparents who were waiting with baited breath for this report in the hope that theirs and their grandchildren’s rights would at last be reinstated.

“Saga is very disappointed at the conclusions of this Review and we do hope that politicians may reconsider the recommendations after further consultation.

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

HUGH PARRY RETURNS TO ASTRAEUS AIRLINES LIMITED.

2011-10-21T09:30:00.000+01:00

ASTRAEUS AIRLINES

COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT SOURCING AND MANAGEMENT

PRESS RELEASE

October 21, 2011.

HUGH PARRY RETURNS TO ASTRAEUS AIRLINES LIMITED.

Hugh Parry, one of the founding directors of Gatwick-based aircraft management and leasing company Astraeus Airlines Limited, has returned to the business as Chief Executive.

Hugh, along with five other owner-directors, set up Astraeus in 2002 but left in 2007 to pursue ventures in India, China and across Europe. He is already in place at Astraeus’ Crawley headquarters, and takes over the role from Mario Fulgoni who left the business in August.

“It’s great to be back, and while there are exciting and challenging times across the aviation industry, Astraeus is well-placed to make the most of the environment, with an experienced and established team of people responsible for one of the most respected and reliable aircraft leasing and management offerings in the world,” said Hugh.

Hugh Parry is a UK Chartered Accountant. After qualifying with Arthur Young and working with Coopers & Lybrand and Ford Motor Company in Australia, he worked in the computer business before becoming Vice President Finance of Europe with National Semiconductors.

In 1983 he joined listed company Intasun Leisure Group plc and became a director of Air Europe in 1985, and then group finance director. Air Europe had a fleet of over 30 Boeing 757 and 737 aircraft. Following the demise of Air Europe in 1991 as a result of the Gulf War, Hugh then developed his own company – Fitzroy Aviation – which specialised in restructuring airlines around the world.

One of Fitzroy’s projects was starting British Mediterranean in 1994, which operated A320 aircraft to Beirut, Damascus and Amman. Hugh was its first Chief Executive. British Mediterranean was acquired for £30m by bmi in 2007.

Hugh has been involved at a senior level with airlines including Bahamasair, Qatar, Debonair, British World Airlines and Air Sahara in India.

Astraeus Airlines commenced operations in 2002, employs 250 people and operates a fleet of ten Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft, primarily on ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance) contracts with a number of airlines, including Iceland Express, Thomas Cook, Thomson and bmi. Astraeus has a worldwide Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) 180 ETOPS and is IOSA accredited. Astraeus is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eignarhaldsfelagid Fengur HF which also owns Iceland Express.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

+44 (0)7788 978800 / im@pressrelations.co.uk / www.flystar.com

Twitter @AEU_Astraeus

Twitter @Press-Relations

HOUSING UNITS ADDS ANOTHER TROPHY TO ITS RANGE OF CABINETS

2011-10-20T07:59:00.000+01:00

HOUSING UNITS

PRESS RELEASE

October 20, 2011.

HOUSING UNITS ADDS ANOTHER TROPHY TO ITS RANGE OF CABINETS.

Photo available.

When the going gets tough, the tough win awards - and north Manchester-based home furnishings store Housing Units has added another trophy to its wide range of cabinets.

Housing Units has won the "Best department store" title in the Progressive Housewares magazine "Excellence in housewares" category after beating off competition almost entirely from affluent south-east England department stores.

"It costs nothing to go that extra inch in driving customer service standards, listening hard to what our customers want, moving heaven and earth to deliver the right sorts of promotions and events, and simply looking and feeling like a place where shoppers feel at home. But it costs a lot if you don't," said Nick Fox, director of Housing Units.

"The competition was tough - and the other nominees were very, very good - but we give our all day-in, day-out, and it pays off not just for us, but for our customers too.

"But it's a spiral: put in the effort, get the custom; get the custom, win the award, feel good, make the customer feel good - get the custom. And this is all massively down to the Housing Units staff - we're certainly a family business, and when things get tough, we all feel the pain but we all then pull together; and the result is that we all win together".

The criteria for the award was: "Should be an individual department store or a specific branch of a department store chain. With excellence in areas across the retail spectrum including product range, staff training, customer care, marketing and promotion, window and product display and also have improvement achievement in improving sales, profitability and/or footfall over the last year."

"And with somebody else influential and expert saying something about us - it's a great accolade to hear," said Nick Fox.

Housing Units - known for its top-hatted doormen - was established in 1947.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

0161 929 0446/07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

LindseyFarrelly@georgedavies.co.uk

LAWYER: £101 MILLION LOTTERY WIN WILL LEAD TO CLAIMS AVALANCHE FROM ESTRANGED PARTNERS AND RELATIVES.

2011-10-14T11:28:00.000+01:00

GEORGE DAVIES SOLICITORS LLP

PRESS RELEASE

October 14, 2011.

LAWYER: £101 MILLION LOTTERY WIN WILL LEAD TO CLAIMS AVALANCHE FROM ESTRANGED PARTNERS AND RELATIVES.

A leading divorce lawyer is predicting an avalanche of relationship-testing share-of-winnings claims by estranged partners and relatives of £101 million lottery winners Dave and Angela Dawes.

Robin Charrot of George Davies Solicitors, who handles high-value divorces for celebrities and sportspeople, says the size of the win is certainly enough to make it worth a fight in the courts.

“The bigger the windfall, the further the claim ripples will spread. For the friends and family members who were already divorced or separated, this sudden windfall potentially creates some interesting legal issues: If the winning couple pay the money to one of them, does the other have a claim over it?” said Robin.

“The answer is uncertain, but there would certainly be enough money to make it worth a fight in the courts to find out – but there’s also the potential for out-of-court settlements or handouts to marginal claimants simply to make them go away.

“After all, the interest on such a sum could be anything between £100,000 and £1 million a week depending upon how and where it is invested.

“Money always brings out the worst in people, and I’m not surprised that everyone is coming out of the woodwork.

“A sudden influx of a lot of money - for the winning couple and anyone they make millionaires - can create relationship strains in itself, for example, they may give up work, and find they are spending too much time together, with no outside distractions, apart from constant begging from other family and friends.

“I would urge they pay a great deal of attention to the official lottery-appointed advisers, and while they undoubtedly have some great adventures ahead of them, there are going to be some very tough decisions to make when it comes to allocating money to people in their circle – after all, where do they draw the line?”

Ends

For further information:

Lindsey Farrelly

0161 234 8802

07717 177609

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

Notes to editor:

About George Davies Solicitors LLP: George Davies Solicitors LLP is a 19 partner law firm based in the heart of Manchester city centre. Established over 70 years ago it provides an extensive range of legal services to a national client base. Recent awards and accreditations include; ratings in independent legal directories - Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners UK; Winner of the Medium Law Firm of the Year 2011 in the Manchester Legal Awards; North West Employment Team of the Year in the Corporate INTL Magazine Awards 2010; adviser on the Deal of the Year sub £5million at the 2010 Insider Dealmakers Awards and is one of only five legal firms in the country to hold the Investors in People Silver standard.

CQC REPORT: SYSTEM OVERWHELMED - ELDERLY SHOULD BE AT HOME, NOT IN HOSPITAL.

2011-10-13T10:49:00.000+01:00

SAGA

QUOTES

October 13, 2011.

CQC REPORT: SYSTEM OVERWHELMED - ELDERLY SHOULD BE AT HOME, NOT IN HOSPITAL.

Commenting on the CQC report into care of the elderly in hospital, Paul Green, head of communications for the over-50s group Saga, said:

“There are far too many older people in hospital because of lack of provision of suitable social and medical care in the community. What’s more, the proportion of patients in hospital who are frail and elderly is steadily rising - and they have much greater care needs which sometimes completely overwhelm the hospital staffing resource.

“The key question could well be whether the conditions reported by the CQC are sparked by demoralised staff, poor management or financial pressures – each of which can be addressed – or whether a poor attitude towards the elderly and vulnerable is becoming endemic – which is not so easily addressed.

“The vast majority of nursing staff are caring, conscientious and committed. The one question the report does not appear to answer is why this attitude has developed, and why in some hospitals and not others.

“That it is not common across all hospitals means that there are clearly specific issues at specific hospitals, which provide a solid basis for investigation and redress.

“Nevertheless, it is yet more evidence that the elderly and vulnerable continue to be dealt poor hands when it comes to care and support.”

Ends

Further information:

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

TV HOME DESIGN AND LIFESTYLE SHOWS? MORE PLEASE – THEY’RE BOOSTING OUR ECONOMY, SAY HOUSING UNITS

2011-10-10T10:21:00.001+01:00

HOUSING UNITS

PRESS RELEASE

October 11, 2011.

TV HOME DESIGN AND LIFESTYLE SHOWS? MORE PLEASE – THEY’RE BOOSTING OUR ECONOMY, SAY HOUSING UNITS.

They may seem to be wall-to-wall on TV, but the overwhelming current crop of home design and lifestyle shows are doing massive favours for the

furnishings and interiors industry.

Nick Fox, director of north Manchester-based furnishings store Housing Units, says that regardless of how tacky, tear-jerking or turgid the home design programmes are, they are inspiring homeowners into spending on changes or improvements.

“Customers will come in to the store sometimes completely undecided about what they want, but will simply refer to a TV home design or lifestyle show and say they want something the same or just like what they saw,” said Nick.

“This is where we have an advantage in that we have in-house designers who overdose on these programmes so know exactly what most customers are talking about.

“The trend is to buy complete makeovers for entire rooms – and customers are specifying not just UK-style design, but design and furnishings they have seen on travel programmes, or home-search shows abroad.

“It is genuinely creating a new niche of demand, and there is a very definite drive towards Italian-inspired interior design.”

Housing Units – known for its top-hatted doormen - was established in 1947. It is a family-owned furnishings retailer based in Wickentree Lane, Failsworth, Manchester M35 9BA, next to Junction 22 of the M60. It stocks 30,000 high-quality lines across a range of departments in two buildings and a crescent of specialist shops, and prides itself on its unique style of customer service, the value of its goods and the shopping experience it provides.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

0161 929 0446/07788 978800

UK EXPERTISE AND US PACE – BUILD BRITAIN OUT OF DOWNTURN, SAYS "RE-IMPORTED" MCBAINS COOPER DIRECTOR

2011-10-10T10:20:00.000+01:00

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

October 11, 2011.

EXPERTISE AND US PACE – BUILD BRITAIN OUT OF DOWNTURN, SAYS NEW MCBAINS COOPER DIRECTOR.

What happens in the USA today has to happen in the UK tomorrow – and nowhere is it more critical than in the property and construction sector.

That’s the considered but urgent view of Richard Fewings, newly-appointed director of London-based international property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper, who joins the firm after nine years’ gathered scar tissue working in the fastest, toughest property market in the world – Manhattan, New York.

“My brief at McBains Cooper is cost management and quantity surveying on current and forthcoming major projects in the UK and internationally, and while I was ‘exported’ to the USA because they have immense respect for the expertise and experience of the British construction industry, I’ve ‘re-imported’ myself into the UK and realised just how devastatingly dominant we could be as an international design and construction power if we combined UK expertise with US-style pace and urgency,” said Richard.

“In fact, having been exposed to big projects on both sides of the Atlantic, I believe UK construction and property expertise combined with a bit of Manhattan-level pace could establish Britain as the absolutely dominant source of professional consultancy, worldwide, for generations.

“That may sound a little aloof or ambitious, but UK construction professionals are the best in the world. When you combine that with the aggressive accelerated delivery New York is noted for, it’s a very strong package.”

Richard, who has worked on blue chip office, residential, hotel, retail in the USA – sectors he’ll be focussing on in the UK and internationally - believes that one of the areas where pace and cost management can be improved is by being as demanding on behalf of UK project clients and investors as the most demanding investors in Manhattan - where he was involved in billions of dollars worth of construction projects.

“We have to take every opportunity to squeeze the procurement and delivery process, such as far more frequent progress and co-ordination meetings than is the UK norm, fully exploiting pre-ordering opportunities, and maximising use of overseas suppliers to drive competition,” he said.

“The upside: faster turnover and delivery of projects will further enhance the reputation of UK professionals abroad.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

HOLLYWOOD STARS DRIVE HOLLINWOOD BABY ECONOMIC BOOM.

2011-10-05T09:48:00.000+01:00

HOUSING UNITS

PRESS RELEASE

October 5, 2011.

HOLLYWOOD STARS DRIVE HOLLINWOOD BABY ECONOMIC BOOM.

The power of Hollywood celebrity endorsement is pushing a baby economic boom in Hollinwood, near Oldham, as parents flock to buy the latest A-list accessory for their new arrivals - prams that cost as much as a car.

Housing Units’ Coo Chi Coo nursery store has seen a quadrupling of sales in the past six months of top-of-the-range Dutch-made Bugaboo prams and buggies – the average price is £800, but versions costing up to £2,000 each are also in steep demand.

“Every time Gwyneth Paltrow, Mariah Carey or another A-lister add to their family, they go out and buy a Bugaboo, get snapped pushing new baby in it, end up all over the media, and we get a surge in demand for our premium prams because they become must-have cool,” said Nick Fox, director of Housing Units.

“Parents simply must have the best for their new arrival – especially if it’s their first baby – and there’s no better advertisement or attention-grabber than a Hollywood celebrity pushing their offspring.

“It’s known as the ‘Kate Effect’ when it comes to women’s clothing – but the Queens of Hollywood draw the same attention. Whenever one of them steps out, with or without baby, then every fashion and gossip journalist on the planet wants to know what they and their kids are wearing or using.

“It’s not lost on us that some of the top-end prams cost the same as a reasonable second-hand car – but the premium brands are a genuine investment, and will often be in a family for a good few new arrivals – and possibly on to later generations too.”

The average price of prams and buggies sold at Coo Chi Coo is around £500, while the store itself – on Housing Units’ retail park – is seeing something of a baby boom itself, with sales steadily increasing across the board, with everything from basic baby clothes and equipment to top-end flagship brands performing strongly.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

0161 929 0446/07788 978800

OLDER PEOPLE: WHERE IN THE UK ARE THE FITTEST, LEAST STRESSED … AND MOST SEXY …?

2011-09-30T11:42:00.000+01:00

SAGA

PRESS RELEASE

September 30, 2011.

OLDER PEOPLE: WHERE IN THE UK ARE THE FITTEST, LEAST STRESSED … AND MOST SEXY …?

Londoners aged over 50 are most likely to do little or no exercise, five times as many older people in Yorkshire and Humberside use exercise to improve their later-years sex life compared to neighbouring North East of England, and people from Scotland are amongst the most likely to follow the ideal exercise regime.

Those are just some of the findings of an independently-conducted study of 10,500 older people commissioned by over-50s group Saga in the run up to Older People’s Day, October 1, 2011, which has the theme of getting active and staying active.

The survey also found that older people from Northern Ireland were least likely to turn to exercise for stress relief (16%), while people from the North West of England were most likely (24%) to feel the need to wind down by getting the pulse racing.

Around 38% of Londoners say they do no exercise, or less than an hour a week, with a figure of 37% in the North East of England and a low 31% in Scotland.

44% of older people in Scotland and Yorkshire and Humberside do what is considered by experts to be the best balance of between two and five hours exercise a week, while in Northern Ireland 22% work up a sweat for between six and ten hours a week. But the Welsh are three times as enthusiastic as older people from London, East Anglia and Northern Ireland about putting in more than 16 hours a week.

Nearly half (49%) or older people in the West Midlands and North East say they do too little exercise.

Regional league table – over-50s doing none, or less than an hour of exercise per week:

London 38%

North East 37%

East Midlands 36%

West Midlands 35%

Northern Ireland

34%

South East 33%

South West 33%

North West 33%

East Anglia

33%

Wales 32%

Yorkshire and Humberside 31%

Scotland

31%

Regional league table – over-50s doing two to five hours of exercise per week:

Yorkshire and Humberside 44%

Scotland

44%

Wales 43%

South East 43%

North West 42%

East Anglia

42%

Northern Ireland

41%

South West 41%

London 41%

East Midlands 41%

North East 36%

The national picture overall:

The research showed over-50s are chasing improved fitness levels in later life with the vast majority of older people citing health improvement or active-life extension as the main reason for pavement pounding and WiiFit workouts – and WiiFit has overtaken bowls as a way of staying in shape.

Across the UK, around 38% of 50-somethings flex their muscles for between two and five hours a week – a level fitness experts say is likely to be life-enhancing – but more people put in the hours the older they get: 44% of 65 to 69-year-olds exercise for up to five hours, with 62% doing between two and 10 hours exercise per week.

“That’s great news for the older people who do try to maintain or improve fitness: there’s a lot of newly converted ‘exercise enthusiasts’ coming through who are realising they’ve a great deal more to give and get once they hit their 60s – the bonus years -and are putting in the effort to exploit it,” said Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of Saga.

But fitness for older people is not all about tea dances and bowls: one in 25 over-50s and one in 50 aged 75 and over use Wii Fit as a way of keeping fit. More admit to using Wii Fit as a means of exercise than bowls, and is equivalent to those who jog.

Just a third of Saga panellists believe that they do the right level of exercise, with 45% admitting to doing too little. Just over 40% of 50 to 54-year-olds did no exercise or “less than an hour” a week compared to 30% of 60 to 69-year-olds.

80% of Saga panellists say they are more conscious of the need to exercise and live a healthy lifestyle now than they were in their 30s. A quarter of women say they exercise more now than in their 30s.

Meanwhile, nationally, five times as many over-50s men compared to women say they’ve embarked on their exercise regime to improve their sex life.

Over-50s believe maintaining their mental fitness is important - 99% agree that it is ‘very important’ or ‘important’ - and crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and TV quiz games were the most popular forms of mental exercises (60%, 40% and 36% respectively doing each). One-in-ten use electronic brain-training games.

Populus interviewed 10,483 Saga customers, all aged 50+, online between 12 September and 15 September 2011. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules; for more information see www.populus.co.uk.

Full survey stats available on request.

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

OVER-50S POUND THE PAVEMENT TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR “BONUS YEARS”.

2011-09-30T11:40:00.000+01:00

SAGA

PRESS RELEASE

September 30, 2011.

OVER-50S POUND THE PAVEMENT TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR “BONUS YEARS”.

A fast-growing club of over-50s are chasing improved fitness levels in later life.

Over-50s organisation Saga commissioned independently-conducted research of 10,500 people on the run up to Older People’s Day, October 1, 2011 – the theme of which is getting active and staying active - to establish just how fit older people are, and discovered that people in their mid-late 60s put in more hours of exercise than people in their early 50s.

“It’s really beginning to dawn on the older generations that the now defunct default retirement age is not a count-down to the nursing home, but the start of the ‘bonus years’ – and to make the most of the opportunities in work and play, they need to have a decent standard of fitness: so more older people are spending more time exercising, and feeling the benefits on many fronts,” said Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of Saga.

The Saga study revealed that the vast majority of older people cite health improvement or active-life extension as the main reason for pavement pounding and Wii Fit workouts.

But while 38% of 50-somethings flex their muscles for between two and five hours a week, this is beaten by the 44% of 65 to 69-year-olds who exercise for up to five hours. In fact, the older groups are exercising even more than their younger peers. More than 40% of 50 to 54-year-olds did no exercise or “less than an hour” a week compared to 30% of 65 to 69-year-olds.

“By their mid-60s, older people realise they have a good few decades left in them – and being fit means they can make the most of it, so they’re increasing their exercise levels,” said Dr Altmann.

“We interact with millions of older people every day, so we’re perfectly positioned to give guidance: we employ and retain health and fitness experts whose sole responsibility in life is to do what they can to ensure the 21 million over-50s in the country extend their lives and lifestyle as long as possible, and our website’s health and wellbeing sections are getting more hits than ever. We’re consequently seeing a boom in over-50s who are increasing their exercise rates.

But fitness for older people is not all about tea dances and bowls: one in 25 over-50s, and one in 50 aged over 75 use Wii Fit as a way of keeping fit. More admit to using Wii Fit than bowls as a means of exercise.

Meanwhile, five times as many over-50s men compared to women say they’ve embarked on their exercise regime to improve their sex life. And there are some notable regional differences with, for example, five times as many older people in Yorkshire and Humberside compared to neighbouring North East using exercise to improve their physical relationship.

The over-50s also believe maintaining their mental fitness is important - 99% agree that it is ‘very important’ or ‘important’ - and crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and TV quiz games were the most popular forms of mental exercises (60%, 40% and 36% respectively doing each). One-in-ten use electronic brain-training games.

Populus interviewed 10,483 Saga customers, all aged 50+, online, between 12 September and 15 September 2011. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules; for more information see www.populus.co.uk.

Full survey stats available on request.

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

YORKS AND HUMBER OLDIES FIVE TIMES AS LIKELY TO EXERCISE TO IMPROVE THEIR SEX LIFE AS NORTH EAST NEIGHBOURS.

2011-09-30T11:36:00.000+01:00

SAGA

PRESS RELEASE

September 30, 2011.

YORKS AND HUMBER OLDIES FIVE TIMES AS LIKELY TO EXERCISE TO IMPROVE THEIR SEX LIFE AS NORTH EAST NEIGHBOURS.

Five times as many older people in Yorkshire and Humberside use exercise to improve sex in later life compared to neighbouring North East of England.

That’s just one finding of an independently-conducted study commissioned by over-50s group Saga which also found that five times as many over-50s men compared to women say they’ve embarked on their exercise regime to improve their sex life.

The research, carried out the study in the run up to Older People’s Day on October 1, showed that over-50s are chasing improved fitness levels in later life, with the vast majority of older people citing health improvement or active-life extension as the main reason for pavement pounding and Wii Fit workouts – and Wii Fit has overtaken bowls as a way of staying in shape.

Around 38% of 50-somethings flex their muscles for between two and five hours a week – a level fitness experts say is likely to be life-enhancing – but more people put in the hours the older they get: 44% of 65 to 69-year-olds exercise for up to five hours, with the better-off are even more likely to put in the effort.

41% of 50 to 54-year-olds did no exercise or “less than an hour” a week compared to 30% of 65 to 69-year-olds; and while 38% of 50 to 54-year-olds did between two and five hours of exercise, 44% of 65 to 69-year-olds committed to the same level of exercise, with 62% doing between two and ten hours exercise a week.

But fitness for older people is not all about tea dances and bowls: one in 25 over-50s, and one in 50 aged 75 use Wii Fit as a way of keeping fit. More admit to using Wii Fit as a means of exercise than bowls, and is equivalent to those who jog.

Meanwhile, five times as many over-50s men compared to women say they’ve embarked on their exercise regime to improve their sex life.

But five times as many older people in Yorkshire and Humberside use exercise to improve their physical relationship compared to the neighbouring North East.

Over-50s also believe maintaining their mental fitness is important - 99% agree that it is ‘very important’ or ‘important’ - and crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and TV quiz games were the most popular forms of mental exercises (60%, 40% and 36% respectively doing each). One-in-ten use electronic brain-training games.

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

"RELATIVES SHOULD CARE FOR ELDERLY IN HOSPITAL" - SAGA DIRECTOR-GENERAL DR ROS ALTMANN COMMENTS.

2011-09-25T11:26:00.000+01:00

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

QUOTES

September 27, 2011.

"RELATIVES SHOULD CARE FOR ELDERLY IN HOSPITAL" - SAGA DIRECTOR-GENERAL DR ROS ALTMANN COMMENTS.

Commenting on news that nursing staff may ask relatives to care for elderly hospital patients, Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s group Saga, said:

"The suggestion of hospital nurses relying on patients' visitors to care for them is astonishing. If patients are in hospital then it is hospital staff who surely have a duty of care to look after patients' needs such as feeding them and ensuring they are clean, washed and dry.

"The problem here is that too many older people end up in acute hospital beds when they really should be cared for elsewhere, but in our current healthcare system the NHS is the default safety net which looks after people when no other care setting is in place. This is a massive waste of resources and definitely sub-optimal for patients too.

"A greater use of publicly-funded domiciliary care for those without acute medical problems could save the NHS a fortune while also improving quality of life for older people.

"Many older patients do not want to be in hospital and these comments suggest some nurses - a minority, I suspect - don't want them there either. What a sorry state of affairs.

"Happily, we do see many examples of wonderful dedicated nursing staff who look after older patients marvellously, but clearly there are strains within our system. A greater emphasis on domiciliary and other social care would be better for many patients, could prevent or shorten hospital stays and save billions of pounds for the NHS.

"The sooner we recognise the need to properly reform social care and integrate this with the Heath Service, the better. We need to ensure better public and private funding for care and reform is long overdue. Andrew Dilnot has offered part of the solution, and we must get on with implementation and integration as soon as possible."

Ends

Further information:
Dr. Ros Altmann
Director-General, Saga
ros.altmann@saga.co.uk
www.saga.co.uk
07545 504513
Twitter @SagaRosAltmann

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

SAGA LAUNCHES FREE OVER-50s iPHONE HEALTH APP.

2011-09-20T08:48:00.000+01:00

SAGA SERVICES LTD

PRESS RELEASE

September 20, 2011.

SAGA LAUNCHES FREE OVER-50s iPHONE HEALTH APP.

Over-50s lifestyle organisation Saga has launched its first health-related app for iPhones as Health Secretary Andrew Lansley calls for new ideas for health related applications to help people make informed choices.

The new Saga Health App is available to download free from Apple’s iTunes App Store. It contains comprehensive information on medical conditions and health topics, as well as a database of private and NHS hospitals and contact details for a wide range of health specialists.

“Around 15-20% of over-50s use a smartphone, and older people do on occasion experience creaks and conditions that are more prevalent to their age bracket. The app is not intended to be a conclusive self-diagnosis tool, but does contain easy-to-use fact sheets on 180 medical conditions and health topics, providing information on things like symptoms, treatments and support organisations,” said Roger Ramsden, Chief Executive of Saga Services Ltd.

“It is designed to be useful to both Saga Private Medical Insurance policyholders and non-policyholders alike and provides access to free health information 24 hours a day.

“There is a database of more than 450 private and NHS hospitals that can be used by our policyholders and over 20,000 recognised specialists - for example cardiologists, physiotherapists and chiropractors - that can be searched for by specialty.

“Using the device’s in-built GPS, the app will even provide directions of how to find them from the iPhone user’s location.

“If the user is one of our existing PMI (private medical insurance) policyholders, they can even securely start the claims process on the new app, and if they aren’t, then we’ve made it easy for them to contact our team for a quotation.

“Of course, some wily older people might also see an opportunity to gain benefit on other fronts – many of the fact sheets also contain information that might just prove to be advantageous in pub quiz nights where the topic or round turns to medical matters…”

To download the FREE Health app from Saga visit the app store and search for Saga Health, or click here.

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

“SHOE-BOX HOMES”: RIBA’S GERALD RATNER MOMENT.

2011-09-20T08:45:00.000+01:00

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

September 20, 2011.

“SHOE-BOX HOMES”: RIBA’S GERALD RATNER MOMENT.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper says RIBA’s Gerald Ratner moment – its “Case for Space” report slating the country’s housebuilders and their “shameful shoebox homes” – could have a devastating impact upon housing development.

“Somebody’s been reading their management books and come up with the light bulb moment that if you want to make something happen, then make somebody uncomfortable – but they’ve lost sight of the fact that the housing construction sector is facing unprecedented challenges right now, and just about everybody involved is doing everything in their power to meet those challenges,” said Mark Leeson, a director of McBains Cooper.

“The question is why are we criticising our own? The report could have taken a much more supportive approach, providing solutions and answers rather than problems and impossible-to-answer questions about future market trends.

“If we’re spending 20% of our time debating the issue, then we’re being 20% less efficient – and we all know that given time is money, we have nothing like the luxury of a 20% margin to play with.

“This could go down as RIBA’s ‘Gerald Ratner moment’ - he called the products in his own jewellery chain ‘crap’. The reality is that house size is the wrong area of focus. If a house is deemed to be too small then we all have a choice not to buy it and to look for a bigger one – it’s called ‘the market’.

“RIBA’s energy, and members’ fee payments, could be better spent re-establishing architects’ reputation in the industry rather than alienating powerful industry people.

“They should be spending their time working with the housebuilders to establish a position for architects to add value, and influence the process with the housebuilders rather than confronting them. The fact is the desperate need for new housing stock in this country can only be delivered by a collaborative approach and by housebuilders.

“The real issue is that homes are not sold on a square footage basis, they are sold according to numbers of bedrooms. A larger three-bed house will sell for no more than a smaller one, so there is no real incentive for developers to build bigger. The bigger one may sell faster, but value and revenue are based on sale price, not necessarily speed of sale.

“The right way to add value and improve our stock in the industry is not to moan about the housebuilders, but to point to and look at ways in which good design can make the best use of space, rather than focus on how much space is created.

“For instance, look at yacht design as an example – we and others are developing incredibly space-efficient home designs based on yacht interior design.

“Well-designed homes have carefully considered integrated storage, efficient plans minimising circulation or corridor space - and maximising useable space for furniture and various room layouts, with well-positioned and proportioned windows orientated well to maximise natural light and views.

“That’s what’s known as a constructive solution, and it’s what we should all be focussing upon.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

CII REPORT: PENSION “TREASURE TROVES” ARE NOWHERE NEAR BIG ENOUGH FOR LATER LIFE CARE, SAYS SAGA.

2011-09-14T15:01:00.000+01:00

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

PRESS RELEASE

September 14, 2011.

CII REPORT: PENSION “TREASURE TROVES” ARE NOWHERE NEAR BIG ENOUGH FOR LATER LIFE CARE, SAYS SAGA.

The glammed-up treasure trove of private pension pots could turn to dust for the majority of the population requiring care in later life.

Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s group Saga, says that the findings of a report by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), entitled “Who cares?”, highlights that despite the recent Dilnot Commission, the public remains unaware of the real cost of long-term care and the need to make personal provision to meet costs.

“Around 80% of people have no idea of how much they will have to pay for care, and around half think long-term care is free at the point of use - but today’s average pension pot will fall well short of funding long-term care costs for the one in four of us who will need it,” said Dr Altmann, who has written a chapter of the report.

“According to the Dilnot Commission on Funding of Care and Support, the current average long-term care bill is £26,000 a year, the average length of stay in a care home is two years, but the current average pension income is often only £10,000 a year, leaving a huge annual deficit.

“The key is developing an awareness and national culture of saving for later life. While private pensions may have been sold as later-life treasure troves alongside images of Mediterranean villas or sumptuous retirement apartments, the fact is that we’re in the midst of a pensions crisis which will provide many people with a far more down-to-earth later life – but the impending care crisis will dwarf it by comparison.

“There is not enough money being put aside privately or publicly, and the vast majority of the population is hoping they won’t need care, when statistically at least one in four people will need it.

“The Dilnot report highlights how failure to adjust social care policy over time has left care under-funded across the board – at national, local and individual level. The welfare state was designed in the 1940s, when the idea of millions of people living to advanced old age was unheard of. Policy has failed to move with the times and is not fit for the 21st century.

“Past Governments have failed to help people prepare for care, even though at least one in four of us will require expensive care in later life. The current system of long-term care funding is haphazard, inefficient and unsustainable.

“Government spends over £100bn on benefits, over £50bn on the health service and just £8bn on care, leaving millions of vulnerable older people at risk. The issue is that people are now living so much longer than before, which is actually great news, but our support systems are being overwhelmed.

“This means most people’s whole life savings are at risk, but many do not realise this. Of course, unlike pensions, not everyone will need care, so insurance against future care costs is one obvious potential solution. However, potential care costs that need to be insured against are unlimited, so it is impossible to find affordable insurance to give full peace of mind, and it is difficult to devise policies that will provide real peace of mind.

“There are potential solutions that could be introduced, though: For example, Care ISAs, allocating an annual pension-style allowance to provide for care, incentivising employer care plans with proper tax relief, adapting annuity rules to allow pension funds to be used to buy ‘Care Pension Annuities’, with a lower starting income but which would then provide much larger sums in later life if care is needed.

“Equity Release is inevitable, since most people needing care will probably have to access some of the value of their property; Another potential savings product that would be facilitated by a cap on private care costs would be ‘Family Care Plans’. Four family members could club resources together and save in a joint-account to ensure, say, that one of them will have their care needs covered up to the cap.”

Ends
Further information:
Dr. Ros Altmann
Director-General, Saga
ros.altmann@saga.co.uk
www.saga.co.uk
07545 504513
Twitter @SagaRosAltmann
Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

SAVOY VENTURES DRIVES SECTOR-LEADING PATIENT TRANSFER EFFICIENCIES.

2011-09-14T11:58:00.000+01:00

SAVOY VENTURES LTD.

NHS PATIENT TRANSPORT

PRESS RELEASE

September 16, 2011.

SAVOY VENTURES DRIVES SECTOR-LEADING PATIENT TRANSFER EFFICIENCIES.

Greenhithe-based Patient Transport Service provider Savoy Ventures Limited has extended its week-day ambulance technician controller resource.

Savoy conducts two levels of transfer – one for patients requiring car or minibus transfer, the other for patients requiring a higher level of care and the support of ambulance technicians which can include emergency “blue light” transfers.

Savoy is handling an increasing number of ambulance technician-conducted patient transfers between South London NHS Healthcare Trust hospitals which has meant it is enhancing controller resource during the busiest periods - 7am and 10pm – as part of its wider 24/7 control and dispatch operation.

But while the efficiencies will be enhanced, they are actually already amongst the highest standard in the region because of the calibre of controllers and dispatchers already in place.

“The key point is that the Savoy staff who dispatch and control ambulance technician crews and vehicles – which can be used for specialist and blue light transfers - are current ambulance technicians,” said Caroline Adams, one of Savoy’s senior controllers.

“This means that we speak the same language as the ambulance crews and hospital staff so can quickly determine the precise type of ambulance and crew required for each patient transport journey, and, traffic- or incident-permitting, get it right first time every time.”

Savoy Ventures Limited is a private company providing patient transport and transfer services to NHS Trusts in the South East of England. Established in 2006, Savoy makes more than 240,000 patient transfer journeys a year. Savoy Ventures Limited is engaged by a number of NHS Trusts to carry out blue-light transfers, specialist wheelchair, incubator, bariatric chair or stretcher transport, notes/X-ray transfer, and movement of tissue between hospitals. Many staff are trained and qualified to Ambulance Technician level.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

www.savoyventures.com

PLANNING LAWS “ALREADY IN FORCE” – PROPERTY CONSULTANCY MCBAINS COOPER COMMENTS.

2011-09-13T14:20:00.000+01:00

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

QUOTES

September 13, 2011.

PLANNING LAWS “ALREADY IN FORCE” – PROPERTY CONSULTANCY MCBAINS COOPER COMMENTS.

Commenting on speculation that future planning laws and guidance are already in force, Mark Leeson, a director of property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper said:

“We should welcome any initiative that speeds up the planning process and encourages sustainable development designed to a high standard. The real problem here, and the one that is causing most concern, is the difference in the timing between the finalisation of the ‘local plans’ and the likely push by developers to secure consent before these are adopted.

“While the idea of creating a local plan in a wholly democratic and consultative way is noble aspiration, it is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process. There is no real guidance to local authorities on how to undertake this process.

“The question is who instigates the local plans? Is it the private sector, the local authority – which may no longer have the resources and money to do so - or individuals and groups themselves? In the case of individuals it is difficult to see what would trigger their involvement. Individuals and sometimes groups have historically reacted to proposals and plans rather than created them themselves. If they are to create them themselves, what professional help is available to them to do so, and how would they procure it?

“Of particular concern in relation to achieving sustainable growth is the removal of targets relating to the re-use of brown field sites, and the lack of comment relating to intensification of land usage. The most sustainable developments build on existing infrastructure, reduce the need to travel and encourage internal investment back into existing communities, rather than creating new ones. The lack of focus on this will inevitably mean that some development will be allowed where it should not be, and opportunities to regenerate may be missed.

“In the meantime, the good news for developers is that the ‘presumption’ should mean that providing the criteria are met, and careful consultation at a local level takes place, consent should be easier to secure. In reality, the new policy will inevitably need to be tested through appeal before LAs really start to adopt it, and greater investment will be needed in the LAs planning teams to make this happen.

“I believe an element of ‘privatisation’ of the planning service - as with approved inspectors - should be introduced to allow the private sector to manage the consultation process and prepare and ‘self-validate’ applications to speed up this process, leaving officers to concentrate on the development, in partnership with the private sector, of strategic plans and to carry out the various needs surveys that have been suggested by the draft framework.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

MCBAINS COOPER APPOINTS NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.

2011-09-12T15:52:00.000+01:00

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

September 7, 2011.

MCBAINS COOPER APPOINTS NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper has appointed Jonathan Mintz as Chief Financial Officer based at the firm’s City of London offices.

Jonathan, 42, a Manchester University graduate, joins from property finance and development specialists Lend Lease Corporation where he was also Chief Financial Officer, working with the business’ Continental Europe, Middle East and Latin America operations.

“What grabbed me was McBains Cooper’s ambitions to drive development in Latin America, the Mediterranean and Middle East – and then when I started to grow my understand of the business I realised that far from being a vision, they were actually delivering against those ambitions,” said Jonathan.

“It is extremely inspiring to come across a business in the property and construction sector which is moving heaven and earth to establish itself in sectors and markets – and then delivering presence, business – and contracts.”

Jonathan has been involved in the finance function of several construction-related businesses since the mid-1990s.

Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of McBains Cooper, said: “Anybody coming into the property and construction sector at a senior level, and who has not previously been involved in the sector can sometimes find the environment a little too challenging.

“But Jonathan has the experience and scar tissue to appreciate just how tough the sector is. He obviously has wider management and sector experience – crucially, in international markets – which bring an extra something to the team.”

Away from the office, Jonathan until recently held a licence to freefall parachute anywhere in the world, although is currently keeping his feet well and truly in and on the earth, cycling, gardening and wine tasting.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

DR ROS ALTMANN, SAGA, CALLS FOR RING-FENCING OF GOVERNMENT £400M FOR RESPITE CARE AND MORE SUPPORT FOR CARERS.

2011-09-12T13:07:00.000+01:00

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

QUOTES

September 12, 2011.

PRINCESS ROYAL TRUST FOR CARERS STUDY: DR ROS ALTMANN, SAGA, CALLS FOR RING-FENCING OF GOVERNMENT £400M FOR RESPITE CARE AND MORE SUPPORT FOR CARERS.

Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s organisation Saga, commenting on a study by The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, which says older carers are themselves suffering failing health because of their efforts.

“Saga frequently sees the impact of the caring burden on family carers.
We appreciate the strain - both physical and mental - that caring can place on families struggling to look after their loved ones. Indeed, we have set up a charity specifically to help provide much-needed respite care for older carers,” said Dr Ros Altmann, Saga Director-General and a trustee of the Saga Respite for Carers Trust.

"We urge the Government to take this issue more seriously and, in particular, we call on Ministers to ensure that the £400 million allocated for respite care a few months ago is properly ring-fenced for that purpose.

"Unpaid carers save billions of pounds for society, but they need more support and some respite can massively improve the quality of life of carers. The Report from the Princess Royal Trust highlights some big problems and, as our population of older people is set to vastly increase in coming years, its findings are quietly alarming.

“That so many older carers - some surveyed were reported to be 94 years of age - are reporting failing physical or mental health because of their commitment to loved ones is of absolutely no surprise to those in the frontline of care and those who are trying to drive care reform. It’s only going to become a bigger issue – the number of carers is expected to rise from 6 million to 9 million in the next 25 years.

“Carers need breaks. Respite care will allow carers to continue their
massively valuable role for as long as possible, and this could be achieved, at least in part, by ring-fencing the £400m Government has allocated for respite breaks - but the sad fact is that as it is not ring-fenced, carers are unlikely to see the whole benefit of this investment. This is something which the Government could and should act upon today.

“It is not in the nature of carers to complain, so it is vital that their friends and supporters persist in driving awareness of the plight of carers – and it is absolutely crucial that GPs are vigilant in overseeing the health of carers, doing everything possible to provide them with both screening and support. We also believe that GPs should be able to prescribe respite or even domiciliary care.

“The benefits associated with a trained and supported workforce to provide respite support and a care team to provide cover when the pressures of caring for a loved one become too great should not be underestimated in either social or financial terms.

“Unpaid carers receive minuscule financial support and benefits - yet they are amongst the hardest working people in society; many do not have the option ever to take a break of two weeks – or sometimes even two minutes.”

Ends

Further information:
Dr. Ros Altmann
Director-General, Saga
ros.altmann@saga.co.uk
www.saga.co.uk
07545 504513
Twitter @SagaRosAltmann

Saga Press Office

01303 771529.

Iain Macauley