Findlay uses debut FMQs as Tory leader to urge National Care Service plans axed

Pressure has increased on First Minister John Swinney to ditch plans to create a National Care Service (NCS).

The proposals would centralise adult social care and social work in Scotland, making ministers ultimately accountable for its delivery.

But criticism of the plans has increased in recent days after local authority body Cosla pulled support and it emerged more than £28 million has been spent on devising the service since 2021.

Trade unions have already withdrawn their support.

In his first appearance at First Minister’s Questions since taking over as Scottish Conservative leader, Russell Findlay urged Mr Swinney to abandon the plans.

“The SNP’s plans for a National Care Service have already wasted £28 million of taxpayers’ money,” he said.

“Four parliamentary committees have warned about its flaws, NHS bosses have serious concerns, Scotland’s council leaders have pulled their support.

“So why is the First Minister pushing ahead with a plan that nobody seems to want?”

Mr Swinney said there is a need for the NCS to ensure people can receive the “highest quality of support” regardless of where they live in the country.

But challenged by Mr Findlay over the number of care homes which have closed in the past decade – just under 20%, according to figures released this week – and record high delayed discharges, the First Minister added: “It’s for many of the reasons Mr Findlay puts to me that I support a National Care Service.

“I’m very, very concerned about the level of delayed discharge in our hospitals today.

“It has been the focus of significant attention from me as First Minister and the Health Secretary and his ministerial team and those acting on our behalf.”

The First Minister went on to say the difference in delayed discharge per 100,000 of the population is as much as 10 times between two local authorities, which he did not name.

“I ask myself why is there a position which is 10 times worse at the other end of the spectrum?” he said.

“That is unfair in this country, it needs to be addressed, and that is what a National Care Service will deliver.”

The figures quoted by the First Minister, Mr Findlay replied, show delayed discharge is a “today problem”.

He added: “It’s classic SNP, wasting time and money, neglecting what people really need.

“Government ministers yet again grabbing power from local communities.”

The money required to set up the NCS, he said, should be used to improve services right now.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also called on the First Minister to “wake up to the reality” and “ditch” the NCS legislation.

Hitting out at the SNP leader, Mr Sarwar told MSPs: “The truth is that his plan is an absolute disaster. Workers don’t want it, experts don’t want it, and warnings have been ignored for years.

“The botched plans are just a powergrab that will waste money, won’t improve care and won’t address delayed discharge – which is a key factor in the NHS crisis.”

He said Labour supports a “proper National Care Service”, but with the SNP “no good idea survives their incompetence”.

Arguing that plans for the NCS are in “disarray”, Mr Sarwar said the current Government proposals are for “a National Care Service in name only” which would do “nothing to actually fix the problem, fund a single extra care worker or improve services”.

The Labour leaded added: “The SNP’s plans could now cost £2.2 billion, surely this money should be spent on care packages, additional care workers, better pay and conditions, and actually reducing delayed discharge?”

Mr Swinney insisted that is “precisely what the Government is doing”.

He added: “The Government has increased social care spending by 25%, which was our target and we have delivered that early.

“Within the commitments we have made we have increased social care expenditure so that care workers are paid more, which they are, so that we have more care workers employed, which we do, to make sure we can deliver that care.”

He said the “rising demand” for care services is why delayed discharges in Scotland’s hospitals remain “so high”.