News round up: ‘Lost generation’ fear as jobless rate soars

‘Lost generation’ fear as young jobless rate soars

Britain risks a repeat of the 1980s, when it lost a generation to unemployment, unions and MPs warned today as a record number of young people out of education, work or training was revealed.

One in six young people in England aged 18 to 24 are so-called “neets” (not in education, employment or training), statistics published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families show.

Read more on this story in Society Guardian

Over 450,000 NHS staff call in sick each day

Over 45,000 NHS staff call in sick every day, which is lowering standards of patient care, according to the first national NHS Health and Wellbeing Review into staff habits.

Read more on this story in The Daily Telegraph

Alzheimer’s carers awarded £300,000 after NHS refuses to pay care costs

Three families looking after relatives with Alzheimer’s have been awarded more than £300,000 after the NHS refused to pay for their care costs.

Nurse sacked and accused of abuse… for smacking her son at home

A nurse sacked from a leading public school after smacking her son in her home has lost her appeal for unfair dismissal.

Susan Pope, 46, furiously condemned the political correctness which she blamed for the decision.

Read more on this story in The Daily Mail

Social workers looking after adults fear a ‘Granny P’ tragedy

Almost two-thirds of social workers looking after adults claim they are under greater work pressure than five years ago, a union survey claims today.

While the death of Baby Peter has focused public attention on child abuse, public sector union Unison fears that social workers helping the elderly and vulnerable are being deprived of resources – increasing the risk of a “Granny P tragedy”.

Read more on this story in Society Guardian