LISTEN with rising anger to discussions which consign ‘carework’ to the so-styled ‘low skill’ sector.

The care of another, often venerable human being, be that a small child, a person with a disability, or a frail senior citizen is, in my judgement, a highly skilled occupation if said care is delivered in a way that respects the dignity and integrity of those to whom the care is given.

As advances in AI and robotics remove much of the task drudgery associated with the work, the need for the higher skills of empathy, understanding and sensitivity to another’s need – skills which some politicians might strive to their own benefit and that of the country, to cultivate, becomes even more pressing if we are to avoid the sort of isolation and loneliness that or depersonalised ‘arm’s length’ culture risks producing.

Haste the day when such arts as music, painting and ballroom dancing become an integral part of all care workers training.

A small step towards the development of the sort of lifeenhancing care protocols that we might export, with profit and with honour, to the rest of the world

HEATHER NICMILLAN Birchwood