A frustrated Kate Garrway fought back the tears as she urged Health Secretary Steve Barclay to meet with her to discuss the social care recruitment crisis.
Ms Garraway explained how she had tried to contact Mr Barclay and Minister of State for Social Care Helen Whately, on numerous occasions.
She said: “This is about representing millions of people across the country who, like me, on one hand feel like they’re holding the life of their loved one, and in the other hand and I don’t want to cry, punching away at the system.”
Mr Barclay told Ms Garraway he was not aware she had been trying to contact him.
Ms Garraway explained how she had tried to contact Mr Barclay and Minister of State for Social Care Helen Whately, on numerous occasions.
She said: “This is about representing millions of people across the country who, like me, on one hand feel like they’re holding the life of their loved one, and in the other hand and I don’t want to cry, punching away at the system.”
Mr Barclay told Ms Garraway he was not aware she had been trying to contact him.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 I'd actually like to get in touch with you privately.
00:02 I don't want to ambush you on air,
00:04 but I have been trying to contact you,
00:06 and I have been trying to contact Helen Whateley as well,
00:10 and haven't been able to.
00:11 I have been able to contact your equivalents on the Shadow side,
00:15 and I have met with them and talked to them.
00:17 I'd like to come and talk to you, because I--
00:20 not about Derek, by the way.
00:22 This is not trying to get something for him.
00:25 This is about representing millions
00:28 of people across the country who, like me every day,
00:32 in one hand, feel like they are holding
00:35 the life of their loved one, and in the other hand--
00:39 I don't want to cry--
00:40 are just punching and punching away at a system.
00:43 And it isn't about money, actually.
00:46 It is about-- well, I've got five points
00:49 that I'd love to meet with you if you would return
00:52 some of my attempts to contact you, or Helen Whateley
00:55 as well, to talk to you about it.
00:57 Because it's not just social care.
00:59 It's also health care and the way it's interrelating.
01:02 So it would be wonderful if you could,
01:06 because then it would give you an opportunity to talk freely
01:09 and openly, and then hopefully we could
01:11 come up with something good.