CARE HOME REVOLUTION

Nationalists and Labour both consult the public as process begins to set up national service

SENIOR SNP and Labour MSPs want the public to tell them how to start a revolution in the “broken” social care system.

Nationalist Angela Constance and Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard will separately ask for views on a national care service, which could dismantle the largely privately owned current system.

Constance, a former SNP education secretary, wants the Scottish Government to produce a blueprint for change before next year’s election.

Care homes are on the front line of the battle against coronavirus, with nearly half of all deaths occurring in this setting.

The death toll has raised serious questions about a lack of PPE for staff and residents and shone a spotlight on the practice of allowing patients to be discharged into homes without being tested for Covid-19.

However, critics believe the social care system was broken before the pandemic struck.

About three-quarters of care homes for older people are operated by the private sector, with just over a quarter run by local authorities, NHS boards and voluntary organisations.

A care watchdog revealed last year it had received at least one complaint in 68 per cent of all homes.

The figure for private homes was 76 per cent, 47 per cent for council-run facilities and 51 per cent in the not-for-profit sector.

Constance, the SNP MSP for Almond Valley, is issuing a call for evidence so radical reforms can be made.

She said: “The coronavirus pandemic shines a light on serious concerns about some private care homes, particularly those operated by very large groups whose headquarters are offshore and pay very little tax on their profits. While it is important not to by paul hutcheon Political Editor tar all providers with the same brush, there is public revulsion about profiteering at the expense of care.

“There are concerns that public money is extracted from the care sector to support private interests and at the expense of the common good.

“Therefore, there is a need to interrogate the ethics and fairness of the financial models that underpin care services and the impact this has on the wellbeing of care home residents. Public money should be used to fund the right care at the right time.”

She added: “The integration of health and social care has brought a number of benefits and the creation of a national care service is its logical next step. Legislative change would be needed, so I’m calling for the Scottish Government to undertake and conclude an in-depth report before the 2021 elections.

“I want to ensure the voices of those with real-life experience are heard and that we benefit from real-life expertise about what matters and what works.”

Similarly, Scottish Labour has launched an online consultation.

Members of the public have been asked to share their experiences of the care system in a survey on the party’s website. Supporters say it could improve standards by delivering care through a publicly funded model similar to the NHS.

Leonard said: “Scotland’s fragmented care system needs radical reform.

“For too long, people have been stuck in hospital because social care wasn’t available, care home residents have been let down, families haven’t been properly supported and staff have not received the pay and conditions they deserve.

“This pandemic has only made the need for reform more urgent.”

I want to ensure the voices of those with real-life experiences are heard SNP MSP ANGELA CONSTANCE ON PLANS FOR REFORM