National Care Service objectives have not changed, says Swinney

John Swinney says the objectives of the National Care Service (NCS) have not changed, despite the Government no longer taking a “statutory approach” to reforming social care.

Last week, ministers dropped the first part of their National Care Service Bill, which would have created a national service for social care.

Instead, the non-statutory national care service advisory board will be set up this year.

The plans for the NCS, initially described as the most significant reform to public services since the creation of the NHS, have faced a range of criticism from groups in the sector and other parties at Holyrood.

Announcing the change on Thursday, social care minister Maree Todd said it was clear the proposals on reforming the social care system did not have parliamentary support.

Former health secretary Jeane Freeman, who began the first steps of the NCS by commissioning Derek Feeley to carry out a review in 2020, has said she is “angry” and “dispirited” that initial support for reforming the care sector has been lost.

She urged the Government to avoid “trying to convince us that there is still a National Care Service when self evidently nobody is convinced of that”.

Following a speech on the NHS on Monday, the First Minister spoke to journalists at the National Robotarium in Edinburgh, where he was asked if he considers the NCS to be scrapped.

He told the PA news agency: “The proposals that we’re going to take forward are about ensuring that we raise the standards of care and that we do that more consistently around the country.”

He said this addressed the fundamental principles of Derek Feeley’s report.

Mr Swinney continued: “It’s not something that can be passed from pillar to post.

“If we’re going to improve the standards of care around the country, a multitude of participants have got to be involved in that process.”

The First Minister added: “The objectives of the national care service have not changed.

“They are about improving standards of care around the country and addressing the inequity that exists around the country.

“We’re going to take a collaborative approach to do that rather than a statutory approach.”

The plan set out on Thursday “resonates entirely” with Ms Freeman’s vision, he said.

Ministers’ plans for the NCS saw repeated changes since the legislation was introduced in the Scottish Parliament in June 2022, while the “go live” date for the planned service was pushed back from 2026 to 2029.

MSPs on cross-party committees had complained the outline of the NCS lacked detail and the costings were unclear.

Local authorities also voiced concern at the centralisation of the service and trade unions said it would not address their priorities.

The NCS Bill nevertheless passed the first of Holyrood’s three-stage legislative process and it will introduce other changes for the care sector.

This includes Anne’s Law, which will allow care home residents to be visited by a named person even when visiting restrictions are in place.

Opposition parties were scathing of the changes announced last week, accusing the Government of wasting £30 million on drawing up a service which will never be created.

Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane prompted angry shouts in the debating chamber as he branded the Government a “shower of charlatans” on the issue.