A massive financial burden could be lifted from the NHS if young people were provided with better guidance helping them to avoid the stresses and illnesses associated with unemployment, a report has found.

The paper by youth advice and counselling charity Youth Access shows that the NHS pays out around £250 million a year dealing with dealing with 16 to 24-year-olds who become mentally or physically ill because of problems such as debt, homelessness or crime, which can be brought on by being out of work.

The charity is calling for more investment in advice services which could pay for better training and resources for people with jobs in social care so they can provide a better service for people in this age group.

Around 750,000 people aged between 16 and 24 suffer a physical or mental illness each year as a result of unemployment-related problems and more than a third of them end up receiving NHS treatment from GPs, hospitals and psychiatric services, according to The Outcomes and Impact of Youth Advice - the Evidence report.

The charity said that good advice has the potential to transform the lives of people between these ages, with 70% reporting reduced levels of stress, and being able to get back into education or work once their problems have been resolved.

Youth Access director Barbara Rayment said: ""Unless urgent action is taken now to put in place the vital advice, counselling and support services young people will need over the next few years, they - and we - will pay a heavy price."

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Plans for six councils to introduce independent teams of social workers in adult social services have been approved by care services minister Paul Burstow.

The announcement paves the way for various models of staff-run practices to be trialled at Birmingham City Council, Lambeth LBC, North East Lincolnshire NHS Care Trust Plus, Shropshire Council, Suffolk CC and Surrey CC.

The two-year pilots are set to get under way in summer, pending secondary legislation. Under the plans, staff will operate independently from local authority control.

The pilots, to be overseen by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), will also see staff focusing on specific groups of people using the services.

In the case of Suffolk, this will cover deaf or visually impaired adults, or those who have dual sensory loss.

The scheme will allow social workers on the front line "to do what they do best: help people maintain their independence", according to Mr Burstow.

He added: "This shift in power will give people greater control over their care and support."

Mr Burstow also lifted the lid on plans to strengthen direct payment legislation in a bid to see people entitled to care made fully aware of their options by councils.

The Department of Health said the pilots would help slash bureaucracy, adding they were backed by £1 million of Government cash.

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Union leaders have called for social workers to be given the right to raise concerns over their workload without the fear of facing disciplinary action.

Social work staff should be given more help and support when contacting their superiors to report any problems they face, before they reach a critical stage, Unison said.

Helga Pile, national officer for the union, said staff need to know that when they have concerns over any aspect of their role, "they should have to fear for their jobs or career prospects".

She added: "This has to be outside the normal chain of command with a hotline direct to those who are accountable. Council leaders, NHS boards and trustees need to be aware and willing to hear the truth.

"We know that Ofsted runs a whistle-blowing hotline but many social workers don`t know about it or don`t trust it - they need a protected channel of communication closer to home."

Unison said some social workers believed their managers did not listen to their concerns about workloads affecting their ability to help vulnerable clients.

Copyright ⌐ Press Association 2011

Scientists in the Republic of Ireland have found that the growth of superbugs may be fuelled by disinfectants designed to keep bacteria out of homes and hospitals.

The study found that the bugs turned into hardy survivors when an increasing amount of disinfectant was used.

The researchers raised concerns over the spread of hospital bugs as the bacteria involved, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, also developed a resistance to a commonly prescribed antibiotic, ciprofloxacin.

People with weak immune systems, and those who suffer from diseases such as cystic fibrosis and diabetes are vulnerable to the bug.

The scientists, led by Dr Gerard Fleming from the National University of Ireland in Galway, found that the bacteria adapted to disinfectant exposure by improving their ability to pump antimicrobial agents out of their cells. They also developed a DNA mutation that helped them resist ciprofloxacin-type antibiotics.

Disinfectants are commonly used in homes, workplaces and hospitals to kill bacteria on surfaces, while antibiotics are administered to infected patients. Bacteria that can resist both these control points could be a serious threat in hospitals, said the scientists.

The study, reported in the January issue of the journal Microbiology, showed that exposure to small non-lethal amounts of disinfectant encouraged the survival of resistant bacteria.

Dr Fleming said: "In principle this means that residue from incorrectly diluted disinfectants left on hospital surfaces could promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. What is more worrying is that bacteria seem to be able to adapt to resist antibiotics without even being exposed to them." He stressed the importance of studying environmental factors that might promote antibiotic resistance. 

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