SNP Ministers are today expected to finally ditch their plan for a national care service despite shelling out £30m. Industry figures believe John Swinney’s Government will focus on slimmed down proposals that do not require a major reorganisation.
The Government’s NCS involves a huge shake up of the sector in a bid to drive up standards and wages. Covid exposed the disparity in wages and dissatisfaction with the quality of service provided.
But the Bill, which involves creating a new national care board, has been seen as a power grab from councils and NHS boards. Local authorities and trade unions walked away last year and the Government does not have the votes for the legislation to pass.
In a statement at Holyrood, the Government is tipped to scrap the parts of the Bill that would require structural change. Local councils will continue to take the lead on care services.
Other provisions such as strengthening the rights of people in care homes are expected to remain.
First Minister John Swinney said in November: “The Government will take its time to ensure that we get proposals right and bring forward proposals that can command parliamentary support. I have made it very clear that my Government is a listening government.
“We are listening to the views of members of the public, we are listening to the fact that people from disabled people’s organisations, carers, service users, are urging us to implement a National Care Service because they are dissatisfied, as I am, with the variation in care around the country, the postcode lottery.”
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