Anyone who has watched the recent television and news programmes over the last month about how the disabled, elderly and carers are struggling to cope at home, cannot have failed to realise that the contribution of both pensioners and carers is massively underestimated and undervalued.

It was clear that those interviewed were well informed and aware of their effective role and place in society, and therefore the justification for further investment in their needs.

In this context new evidence in a recently published report showing that homebased support can save the NHS £10,000 per person per year comes as no real surprise (source NEF-Consulting). What is surprising and shocking is that this support simply is not there for too many people.

The communication between the GPs, social workers, patients and carers is not as proactive as it needs to be to action effective homebased support across the UK. It is a postcode lottery depending most on ‘he who shouts loudest’.

The right aids for daily living and the help of a trained carer will inevitably prevent excessive bed blocking and improve quality of life, saving the NHS and the social services money in the short and the long term. These aids exist and there are some excellent trained carers and others who could be trained.

What is required is more political will and louder voices speaking out and telling it how it is. There is no need for such distress to be experienced by so many.