Caroline Cooke is Policy Manager at BGS. Here she explains why BGS has published its own election manifesto, what it says and how you can get involved.
The 2017 General Election offers an opportunity to promote the issues that most affect the healthcare of older people across the UK. By publishing our own manifesto we are helping to raise awareness and understanding among key opinion-formers and decision-makers, including parliamentary candidates, of the work of BGS and the unique expertise of our members. It is also a way of demonstrating that BGS will be working to influence policy development after the election.
We have seven calls for action. We call on the incoming Government to take action to ensure:
- Sufficient investment in the NHS and social care
- Full integration of services
- A lasting solution to the current crisis in social care
- Greater capacity in intermediate care
- Access to comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and personalised care plans for all older people with frailty, dementia and complex and multiple long-term conditions.
- All who care for older people to have the right skills
- The commitment and expertise of the current workforce is better recognised
You can read more in our full manifesto here. You can help by sharing a copy with the key influencers and decision makers in your local area, and with your local parliamentary candidate in the run up to the election on 8 June, and the elected MPs in your area after the election. If you can include examples of how the issues are affecting your own work that will add to the impact. You can get involved on Twitter on-line using #BGSmanifesto.
A point for all our members to note is that as a charity BGS is independent and must never support a political party or be perceived to support a political party. When we promote a policy position we do so because it supports our mission and charitable purposes. Further information is available here.
Finally as part of BGS’s approach to delivering our policy strategy we seek to measure success. If you are getting positive responses and people are engaging when you send them the manifesto please let me know by emailing policy@bgs.org.uk. Your contribution to using BGS’s expert voice to increase our influence and profile is essential and very much valued.
British Geriatrics Society 