‘Crumbling’ social care sector is failing older Scots, charity warns ministers

Scotland’s “crumbling” social care sector is “failing older people”, campaigners warned, as new figures showed the number of people waiting for a care assessment has risen by almost a third in the last year.

Official figures showed that as of October 6 there were 7,913 people in Scotland waiting for an assessment to be carried out so they can have a care package put in place – with this up 32% from October 2024.

Public Health Scotland figures showed a further 3,302 are waiting for their care package to be put in place having been assessed – with this total up by 2% from 12 months ago.

At the same time, separate figures showed the number of care homes available in Scotland has fallen by almost a fifth over the last decade.

As of March 31 this year, there were 1,003 care homes for adults, 18% fewer than in March 2015.

The number of places available had also fallen over the decade, dropping by 5% to stand at 39,919 by the end of March this year.

Commenting on the increase in elderly Scots waiting for care assessments and arrangements to be made, Katherine Crawford, chief executive of Age Scotland, said: “It feels as though politicians from local and national government are simply ignoring the collapse of social care in Scotland.”

Ms Crawford stated: “Once again the crumbling social care sector in this country is shown to be failing older people.

“Despite social care workers trying their best to cope with growing demand, older people and their families are facing unprecedented challenges in accessing vital social care packages that could significantly improve their quality of life.

“This issue needs to be placed high on the political agenda before next year’s Scottish parliamentary and local elections.

“Voters need to know which politicians have a clear, deliverable plan to properly fund social care with clarity around accountability and responsibility.

“There also needs to be a major cash injection from government into social care and it must see a significant investment in the next budget.

“Social care is crying out for reform. It’s unacceptable to continue to let such a vital service collapse in front of our eyes.”

Social care minister Tom Arthur said the Government is “laser-focused on improving social care” but added this work requires ministers to work with councils, trade unions, the third sector and others.

Mr Arthur said: “We meet regularly with social care leaders to discuss the sector’s ongoing challenges, including severe workforce shortages and bed capacities – and want to ensure they are supported to deliver timely, high-quality care.

“The sector hasn’t been helped by the UK Government’s increases to employers’ national insurance contributions, estimated to cost £84 million and increasingly restrictive migration policies.”

He added that Scottish ministers would “continue to do all we can to push the UK Government to reverse these damaging changes”.

Liberal Democrat MP Angus MacDonald said the figures were a “damming verdict on the state of social care under the SNP”.

He said: “Those who know the sector best understand that as more homes shut their doors, more people struggle to access care close to home.”

After the Scottish Government abandoned plans to create a national care service, he said SNP ministers had “wasted tens of millions of pounds trying to centralise services” – saying this cash “could have paid the salaries of 1,200 new care workers”.