Pressure on Scottish Government to drop ‘botched’ plans for National Care Service

Health secretary Neil Gray has faced calls to shelve plans for a National Care Service as it emerged the proposals have already cost the taxpayer £28.7m.

Scottish Labour’s Jackie Baillie told the Scottish Parliament that to date, all there is to show for the NCS is “botched legislation”.

Gray was answering questions on the proposals as the Scottish Conservatives established through a parliamentary question that from 2021-22 to 2024-25 a total of £28,730,224 was spent on, or allocated to, the National Care Service.

Last week, council body Cosla, which represents Scotland’s 32 local authorities, withdrew its support for the plans. 

The service, which has already been delayed by three years, would see the transfer of social care responsibility from councils to a new national service.   

Baillie told the health secretary that the Scottish Government “hadn’t been listening” to Cosla and that the more than £10m that has been spent on creating the bill “will not make a difference to social care now”, while “care packages are being cut, direct payments slashed, services are being removed, and staff are leaving”. 

Gray said it is “disappointing that Cosla has taken this step” and described it as “pre-emptive”.  

He added: “We have worked extensively with them on their concerns for almost two years and made a series of substantial changes at their request. 

“Uppermost in our minds, and I am sure theirs', is the people who rely on care services and in that spirit, we will continue to work with individual councils and, where they are willing, Cosla as well.”

Cosla cited concerns from council leaders about proposed legislation and that several organisations – including those in the care sector – had expressed doubt over the government's approach.  

Ballie argued that the proposed bill “doesn’t resemble the recommendations of the Feeley Review” and that the latest withdrawal follows that of “all three social care trade unions”, while it faces criticism from NHS chief executives and board chairs. 

She said: “The substance of the bill is to create another quango which is not expected to be established until 2028 or 2029.  

“It does nothing to improve social care just now.” 

Tory MSP Tess White criticised the government for “pushing on” with its “unpopular and unworkable plan” and asked Gray when he will commit to directing future funding to improve social care now. 

The health secretary argued that the Scottish Government is already doing that, saying it has met its target for increasing its investment in social care two years early.