Social care improvements cannot wait for National Care Service, charity warns

Improvements to social care in Scotland cannot wait for the introduction of the National Care Service, the national charity for elderly people has said.

In a letter to Health Secretary Neil Gray, Age Scotland chief executive Katherine Crawford said there is a “crisis of access to social care”.

She set out five priorities for the Government, including cutting waiting lists and ensuring care home visiting rights are embedded in law.

Last year the charity carried out a survey of more than 4,000 Scots aged above 50, in which 84% said timely access to healthcare is the single most important issue.

The National Care Service is at the heart of the Government’s plan to overhaul the care sector but it will not be fully introduced before 2029.

In her letter to Mr Gray, Ms Crawford said: “I’m sure you would acknowledge we are facing a crisis of access to social care, medical assessments, and many treatments, as the NHS and health and social care partnerships struggle to overcome shortages of staff, resource challenges and growing waiting lists.

“We must fix social care in Scotland. We cannot wait for the delivery of the National Care Service as the sole means of doing so.

“There is so much to be proud of in our social care sector, but a crisis of resource, staffing and service availability is having a profound effect on the country.

“Many of the challenges facing our NHS, not least delayed discharge figures, could be addressed if social care really got the attention it deserved.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Adult social care support is vital to those who require additional support to live independently at home, in the community, or in a care home.

“We are committed to introducing a National Care Service, but we are also taking immediate action to improve things now, including investing £1.7 billion in social care support and health and social care support integration in 2023/24 with a further £3.6 million for the development and expansion of Hospital at Home services for older people.

“We are seeing positive results from using our existing powers to ensure the Anne’s Law provisions in the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill are adopted now by strengthening the health and social care standards and guidance for care homes.

“The Health Secretary will respond to the letter from Age Scotland in due course.”