Labour Party spokespersons Marie-Louise Coleiro-Preca and Silvio Parnis said the families of residents in halls 5/6, 7/8, and 11/12 at St Vincent de Paul home for the elderly were approaching them to complain about a staff shortage, resulting in improper care of the elderly.

This confirmed the requests made by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, on which agreement had been reached last May. Unfortunately, the spokespersons said, the agreement has not yet been implemented.

The government was not addressing the problem because it knew that the private companies with which it had an agreement to provide carers were not meeting the needs existing at St Vincent de Paul, so there was a lack of supporting staff in the halls there, they said.