A severely disabled Forest Hall woman has called on the local council and health authorities to up the wages it pays her carers - as for the past ten months she has not been able to replace people looking after her who have left.
Mary Laver, 75, has severe arthritis which leaves her wheelchair-dependent and a range of other complex mental and physical health conditions. She receives continuing healthcare provision provided by the NHS clinical commissioning group alongside North Tyneside Council social services.
Due to her complex condition, Mary is entitled to round-the-clock care, but with care staff leaving for other jobs the strain has grown on the remaining staff - who are only paid £9.50 an hour. There are several vacancies on the team who look after her - but they've been unfilled for months now and the other carers are now "burnt out". Mary said that the low pay-rate was part of the reason recruitment had been difficult - and said she was "petrified for the future" about what might happen if new carers couldn't be attracted to the roles.
