Amanda Kopel welcomes 'Frank's Law' pledge

Frank's Law - Miles Briggs

The widow of former Dundee United footballer Frank Kopel has said she is "totally ecstatic" that the Scottish Government has pledged to extend personal care in a new law bearing his name.

Amanda Kopel has campaigned for the law change since 2013 after her husband was diagnosed with dementia. He died in 2014.

The Scottish Conservatives joined the campaign this year, led by health spokesman Miles Briggs who lodged a member's bill in June.

But in Nicola Sturgeon's programme for government yesterday, she said the legislation to extend free personal care to dementia patients aged under 65 would be brought forward.

"The campaign for what has become known as Frank’s law—named after Frank Kopel—advocates the extension of free personal care to under-65s. The Scottish Government undertook to carry out a study into the feasibility of making that change. That study was published today and I am pleased to announce that we will now begin work to fully implement Frank’s law," she said.

Kopel told the BBC she'd shed "quite a few tears" at the news.

"It's been a bitter-sweet day because the one person I wanted to share the news with is not here," she said.

"But I know he will be proud of me, I know he'll be saying: 'You've done it, hen, you've kept your promise to me'."

Briggs said: “It is welcome news that at long last the Scottish Government has committed to implementing Frank’s Law in full. It’s clear that ministers have been forced into this position by public and political pressure, but in the end they have finally done the right thing and decided to remove age discrimination for sufferers of life limiting conditions who are under 65.

“I urge ministers to set out a clear timetable for the implementation of the extension of free personal care and I will be seeking an early meeting with them to pin them down on these details."