A SECTOR UNDER SCRUTINY

1. how many care homes are there for adults and older people in scotland? Official figures show there were 1080 homes as of May 31.

The overwhelming majority, 678, are privately run. At total of 255 are operated by the voluntary or not-for-profit sectors, and 147 are NHS/council. 2. Why are some politicians calling for radical change in the social care sector?

Nearly half of all coronaviruslinked deaths have occurred in care homes and critics believe the sector needs to be overhauled.

However, opponents of the status quo called for change long before the pandemic. They believe there are fundamental structural

problems,

3. What does a national care service mean in practice?

It is likely to mean different things to different people.

Some advocates believe social care should be free at the point of need, just like the health service.

Others see an NCS as a way of driving up national standards and way of securing a better deal for staff. 4. What is the scottish Government saying about a national care service? Ministers are believed to be frustrated with the status quo. Asked recently about an NCS, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I’ve got huge sympathy with this.

“It’s an example of how we need to be prepared to rethink old ways of doing things and contemplate potentially new and potentially better ways of doing things.

“I hope we may see some cross-party willingness to look at the idea of a national care service.” 5. What are the next steps?

Opposition parties are doing the running on an NCS, particularly the SNP’s Angela Constance and Scottish Labour’s Richard Leonard.

The immediate priority will be coming up with a workable plan for change. If the SNP win the next election, it could become a key part of Sturgeon’s next term.