Our members ‘don’t see any future’ in National Care Service, union tells MSPs

Unions in the healthcare sector have been sharply critical of the planned National Care Service (NCS) with one saying they “don’t see any future” in it.

Unison and GMB Scotland have urged the Scottish Government to withdraw its plans for the NCS, saying it fails to address their concerns about pay and conditions in the healthcare sector.

The Scottish Parliament backed the general principles of the NCS Bill during a Stage 1 vote in February this year, with the legislation being a flagship reform of social care in the wake of the Covid pandemic.

Amendments published this summer ahead of Holyrood’s Stage 2 proceedings have prompted discontent from some organisations in the sector.

The plans have already gone through a number of changes and delays, with critics saying there is still a lack of clarity on the new national body’s role and functions.

Appearing at Holyrood’s Health Committee on Tuesday, Keir Greenaway, of GMB Scotland, said: “Our members in the GMB are unhappy with the Bill as it currently stands, we’ve made that clear.”

He added: “They don’t see any future in it. It doesn’t achieve anything that they are looking for.”

The NCS would lack “teeth” to improve pay and conditions and has no seats at board level for trade union representatives, he said.

Simon Macfarlane, a regional manager at Unison, said the NCS would only have a “negligible” impact on the workforce and the Government should instead focus on removing the “failed market in social care”.

Colin Poolman, of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland, said his union had “deep concerns” about the Bill but it would continue discussions with the Government.

Scottish Conservative MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane asked the panel if the Bill is “dead in the water” if local Government umbrella body Cosla oppose it.

Cosla has warned the Government’s latest amendments erode local decision-making.

Mr Macfarlane said the proposals have united “a raft of civic Scotland” against them.

Mr Greenaway said opposition from Cosla would be “another nail in its coffin”.

The Scottish Government has previously said that social care needs a “fundamental transformation”.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd has defended the NCS plans as “morally and ethically the right thing for us to do”.

She has vowed to press on with the NCS and said the Bill could pass by the end of the year.