I WOULD like to use my latest Advertiser column to pay tribute to the people who work in the care industry – paid staff, unpaid volunteers and family members alike.

The care industry can be demanding and stressful, with many workers feeling undervalued and at times overwhelmed by the demands that are put upon them.

Only this week I have been involved in helping one of my constituents to get a care package put in place, liaising with her local GP and his practice staff, who have been great in organising occupational therapy, physiotherapist, and care staff.

Everyone that I have met and dealt with in the course of this process has been first rate in their professionalism, helping my constituent to gradually accept that she now needs carers, and the services they provide, for the first time in her life.

It is a big change to allow strangers into your home to provide personal care, and the excellent manner of all involved in this lady’s care package has hugely increased her confidence and wellbeing.

I will always champion our carers, who are asked to do a job that can be very demanding, often to tight deadlines, and sometimes in the most trying of circumstances.

I value these exceptional people who look after the most vulnerable in our society, doing a job that a lot of us could not do, and so let me offer my heartfelt thanks to all those caring carers out there.

Meanwhile, work has already started on improving some of the roads in my Lomond North ward, and several more will follow in the coming weeks.

It’s not before time, I hear you say, and I can’t argue with that!

I very much welcome the improvements to routes in Garelochhead, Luss, Rosneath and the Haul Road, to name but a few.

I would also like to see restrictions regarding the use of the A814 by heavy goods vehicles when the A82 is closed due to road traffic accidents.

That was the case last month and again last week, when two accidents sadly resulted in the loss of two lives and when the single-track A814 between Arrochar and Garelochhead was blocked by HGVs meeting at Morelaggan corner.

This caused extreme inconvenience for people trying to get to their homes or places of work, and I will be speaking with the relevant organisations to see if anything can be done to enforce a restriction on unsuitable vehicles using this road in such circumstances.

Until next time, I hope that you all continue to enjoy this exceptional summer weather!