The cost of gas and electricity is already causing people to skip meals and businesses to close their doors.
And that’s before we reach the winter months and the prospect of energy bills climbing even higher.
The situation is simply unsustainable and it is vital the UK Government takes meaningful action before it is too late.
People will not tolerate being forced to sit in the cold for weeks on end while private utilities companies rake in obscene profits.
The Record reports today how research has uncovered that at least seven million people across the UK have already cut everything they are able to in order to pay bills.
That means they have no financial slack left available to them and would be unable to meet any further price hikes.
The research also found 69 per cent are already being forced to make more cutbacks on their household budgets.
Just under half are concerned about being able to keep up with mortgage payments or rent in the next 12 months.
It comes after industry experts last week warned the cost of heating and powering the average home per year in the UK will reach £4000.
The average cost in January could be £500 alone.
Those kinds of prices are well beyond the reach of many ordinary people.
Tory promises to cut VAT on fuel bills and scrap green levies will not be enough.
Greedy energy companies need to be reined in.
The consequences of ignoring this mounting crisis would be truly dire.
Poor delivery
Most new mums will say they want to be quickly discharged from hospital with their new arrival.
But they will all agree they should only go home when it is medically safe for them and their baby.
Maternity wards have adopted a short-stay policy in recent years, with some women going home within
24 hours of giving birth.
Leah Hazard’s warning that this strategy is driven by staff shortages and cutbacks which are leading to failures in post-natal care should not be ignored.
New mums rely on midwives to make sure they receive the best care – especially in the final stages of pregnancy.
That some 900 Scottish midwives are considering leaving should be a wake-up call to the NHS.
Not only would it lead to a worse staffing crisis, the cost of recruiting and attracting recruits would cost the taxpayer a fortune. Probably more than what it would take to fix the existing problems.
Midwives should not be the “poor relation” when it comes to NHS funding and should get the support they need.
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