• THE coronavirus crisis has brought a long overdue appreciation of NHS staff and, belatedly, care home workers.

I am not sure most people realise that public health, adult social care, and the commission­ing of care homes, are the responsibility of the council.

Despite the Tory (and coalition) governments starving local authorities of money over the last decade, councils remain the unsung heroes of this crisis.

Most of the time, many of us barely notice the council’s services; if functioning well, they are inconspicuous except to those in need, for whom they provide an invaluable safety net.

The Tory antipathy to local government and decision making is well known and evident throughout the punitive actions of the last decade but councils continue to reinvent themselves, to develop innovative solutions and to hold a moral line about priorities.

Councillors, managers and workers know and care about their borough and are much better placed to serve local communities than the companies that the council has been forced to outsource services to.

It is easy to find fault with the council – they cannot please us all and, of course, they make mistakes – but this should not blind us to the commitment, competence and care with which they try so hard to deploy services for the greatest good.

Let us support our nurses, doctors and care home workers to the hilt but let us also show our appreciation for all public services and especially the hard work of our local public servants, the London Borough of Camden.

LESLEY CAMPBELL
Camden resident for 50 years