National Care Service to be scrapped by Scottish Government

It is expected that the National Care Service is to be ditched by Scottish ministers today, following a stream of backlash.  

The Scottish Government has already spent around £30m developing the NCS, but it lost key support last year from the Scottish Greens, which gave the bill a majority at Holyrood, and council body Cosla.  

The social care minister is set to make a statement on the bill later this afternoon, where it is believed that Maree Todd will scrap the plans. 

It has been reported that provisions such as strengthening the rights of people in care homes will remain part of the government’s plans. 

The redesign of the sector would have seen standards and wages rise, as well as the establishment of a new national care board, which would have seen the abandonment of plans for regional care boards.

However, critics accused the government of presiding over a “power grab” by seeking to centralise services.  

In 2021, the government suggested it would cost £500m to set up the scheme by 2026. However, in October 2022, Scottish parliamentary researchers reported that the cost had been drastically underestimated and that it could reach anywhere between £664m and £1.26m over five years.  

In November, following flagging support for the bill, Scottish ministers delayed the bill for the second time in under 12 months.  

But health secretary Neil Gray said the government was “absolutely committed” to the scheme, while First Minister John Swinney said more time was needed to consider views in order to “get the proposals right”.  

Social care minister Maree Todd said: “We want to deliver a National Care Service that improves the experience of everyone who relies on social care, social work and community health in Scotland.

“The change that is urgently needed to reform the social care sector in Scotland has to be meaningful and sustainable, that’s why we paused the Bill for further consideration, to fully capture the views expressed by all stakeholders, members of the public and the Parliament.

“This afternoon I will set out, in full, to Parliament our revised plans for the National Care Service.”