Union withdraws support for proposed National Care Service
The GMB union has withdrawn its support for the Scottish Government’s proposed National Care Service.
The plan will see ministers and councils share legal accountability for social care in hopes of easing the crisis facing the sector.
But the union has claimed the Bill – which is facing a number of substantial amendments at stage two – will not compel care providers to fairly pay staff, leading to 79% of members backing plans to withdraw support.
The GMB was among the unions and other bodies in talks with the Scottish Government throughout the somewhat fraught process of creating the NCS.
Ministers agreed earlier this year to relinquish some control over the final system, instead sharing responsibility with local government.
Louise Gilmour, the Scotland secretary at the union, said the plan should be an “opportunity to rebuild a care system in crisis”, but added: “Instead of recognising the value of those frontline staff, these plans only add bureaucracy to a service that is already choking on it.
“The problems in social care are obvious and the solution is just as clear and would mean employers being compelled to fairly pay and properly protect care workers.
“Instead, years of talks and millions of pounds have been wasted while that fundamental issue has been ignored and our care system sinks deeper into crisis.
“We have heard plenty of warm words about our campaign for carers to earn £15 an hour, for example, but progress has been glacial.
“All the time and money spent on the National Care Service should have transformed how care is delivered, protecting workers and those they care for. It has, instead, achieved nothing.”
Social care minister Maree Todd, speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday, said she is “disappointed” the union had pulled its support.
“But I’m going to carry on with my work to deliver a National Care Service for Scotland,” she said.
“We’re in the process of delivering that legislation, we’re about to enter formal stage two of that legislation, it will pass through Parliament.”
She added: “I want the care service to deliver care for those who are seeking to access it and I want it to deliver better pay and conditions for those who are working in it.”
She went on to dispute the GMB assertion that the NCS will only add another “layer of bureaucracy”, saying: “What it will deliver with the shared accountability agreement is a care system that is accountable to myself, Cosla and to the National Health Service.
“We think that will ensure that there is an improvement in delivery, both locally and nationally.”
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane accused the minister of doubling down on plans which are “dead in the water”.
He added: “The GMB are just the latest stakeholder to conclude that the NCS would only create another layer of bureaucracy and switch decision-making from local care providers to SNP ministers.
“There’s a huge crisis in social care, yet the SNP are determined to continue spending a fortune on this unwanted and reckless proposal.
“The GMB’s withdrawal of support should be the final nail in the coffin for the botched National Care Service – which my party has opposed since day one.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said there is a “mountain of opposition to this white elephant of a ministerial takeover”.
He added: “Even the minister overseeing these ill-fated plans has admitted they would take years to come about.
“When they do, they will completely fail to tackle core problems. Instead, they would see decisions about care in the Highlands and islands taken by a distant minister in Edinburgh.”