Last week the Social Care Minister, Maree Todd, announced that plans for a National Care Service in Scotland have been scrapped.
When the NHS was founded in 1948, social care was not included under the umbrella of its services. Instead, local authorities were given the responsibility of providing social care to both adults and children.
This intended to create a community-orientated social work service but it has developed into what the former First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, has called a “post-code lottery,” where the quality of social care differs greatly depending upon the resources available to the local authority which you live under.
In 2022 the introduction of the National Care Service was proposed.
This was intended to transfer the responsibility of social care from local authorities onto the Scottish Government.
This bill was intended for adult services only, in light of the forthcoming strain on social services because of the expanding ageing population in Scotland with over 20 per cent of its population being 65 or over. This means that the demand for adult social care services within Scotland will rise, especially as the leading causes of death in Scotland have shifted to Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
When the bill was announced, it gained widespread support but faced logistical challenges.
Money immediately became an issue; no firm cost was associated with the bill and so it became a target for budget cuts by politicians.
The bill also required the cooperation of a variety of actors to enact it; councils, staff unions, health boards and independent care providers among others.
As the bill was stripped back, many of these groups were alienated from the project. Unions, such as Unison who represent and protect key workers, spoke out against the proposal.
The bill is also seen by some as undermining local control over certain services.
The project was delayed from 2026 to 2029 and used £30 million of taxpayers’ money in the process of consultation and drafting for the bill. Now the National Care Service Act is reduced to a non-statutory advisory board. The Government have also reaffirmed the rights of those living in care homes, with an emphasis on Anne’s Law.
The National Care Service Bill spanned three First Ministerships but has not resulted in any major tangible change within Scottish social care.
“Hospital – Dottore phoning” by digital cat is licensed under CC BY 2.0.