2, 85 year old Liverpool ladies perform emotional rendition of:- "You'll never walk alone" with their Carer

2 women, born and bred in Liverpool, broke into song as they reminisced together, hand in hand with their carer, performing the famous lyrics to the song of their City's theame tune:- 'You'll Never Walk Alone.'

Joan Hill, 85, from Mossley Hill, Liverpool and Connie O'Connor, 85, from:- Greenbank, Liverpool, performed the heartfelt rendition while attending a memory capture workshop, organised by care provider Right, at Home South Liverpool. The session was designed to help them reignite fond memories, as they swapped stories of their childhood and shared them with the group.

During the session, Joan and Connie, who attend a choir group together each week, spent time sharing about their lifelong love for singing with their CareGiver Fiona Stirling. This soon sparked the 2 most beloved tracks, You'll Never Walk Alone, by Gerry and the Pacemakers, and song of their local football club, Liverpool FC. Music Therapy is becoming a popular method of care for many who live with dementia and its effects, as it accesses different parts of the brain to regular speech.

New online blood test booking system in Southport and Formby

SOUTHPORT and Formby residents can now arrange their own blood test appointment with the launch of a new online appointment system. The:- 'Simply Book' system, has been introduced to ease the demand on existing services and in response to recent survey results which revealed patients would prefer to use an online booking system.

The new system provides flexibility and patient choice with time slots and different clinic sites and supplements a similar service for GPs. The Phlebotomy Service is 1 of the busiest services run by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, delivering blood tests at clinics and home visits to the most vulnerable.

Patients will still be able to call to make an appointment using the Southport and Formby telephone line on:- 01512854548, over:- Monday to Friday, from:- 8am to 4pm.

Blood tests are available for booked appointments at the following clinics:-

• Ainsdale Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Sandbrook Road, PR8 3RW.
   

• Churchtown, Cambridge Road PR9 7LT.
   

• Formby Clinic, Philips Lane, L37 4AY.
   

• Southport Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Houghton Street, PR9 0PQ.

For further information about the service please contact:- Emma.Greenwood-Chong@MerseyCare.NHS.UK.

LGA analysis - Councils face almost £3 billion funding gap over next 2 years

COUNCILS in England face a funding gap of almost £3 billion over next 2 years just to keep services standing still, new analysis by the Local Government Association reveals today.

The LGA has begun its Annual Conference in Bournemouth. on 4 July 2023; is warning that inflation rates pose a further danger to the financial sustainability of local services.

It is calling on the Government to ensure Councils have adequate resources to meet ongoing cost and demand pressures, protect local services from cutbacks and invest in improving the services our communities rely on.

It comes as new LGA analysis on the cost pressures facing Councils reveals that:-

The cost to Councils of delivering their services at current levels will exceed their core funding by £2 billion this year and £900 million in 2024/25.

If inflation fails to fall in line with the forecast at the March 2023 Budget; and instead is in line with more recent inflation projections from the Bank of England; this would add an extra £740 million in cost pressures this year and an extra £1.5 billion in 2024/25.

This is just the funding needed to maintain services at their current levels. It does not include addressing existing underfunding in areas such as:- the adult social care provider market, children's social care and homelessness, nor does it include funding to improve or expand Council services.

The LGA said Councils will need to consider options such as making cutbacks to services or using reserves to meet their legal duty to balance the books this year.

Councils hold reserves so they can plan for the future and deal with known risks. They can only be spent once and the LGA is warning that using reserves to plug funding gaps is not a solution to the long-term financial pressures that Councils face.

The Government has confirmed some funding streams for Councils over the next 2 years. However, significant uncertainties remain in the level of funding they will have in 2024/25 which is hampering financial planning and their financial sustainability.

Greater funding certainty for Councils through multi year settlements and more clarity on financial reform is vital so Councils can plan effectively, balance competing pressures across different service areas and maximise the impact of their spending.

Cllr Pete Marland, Chair of the LGA's Resources Board, said:- "Inflation, the National Living Wage, energy costs and ongoing increasing demand for services are all adding billions of extra costs onto Councils just to keep services standing still. Councils' ability to mitigate these stark pressures are being continuously hampered by 1 year funding settlements, 1 off funding pots and uncertainty due to repeated delays to funding reforms. The Government needs to come up with a long term plan to sufficiently fund local services. This must include greater funding certainty for Councils through multi-year settlements and more clarity on financial reform so they can plan effectively, balance competing pressures across different service areas and maximise the impact of their spending."