Frank’s Law still on course as committee backs plans
PLANS to extend free personal care to under-65s with degenerative conditions have been backed by a Holyrood committee.
MSPs on the Health Committee unanimously supported the change, known as Frank’s Law, due to come into force from April next year.
It is expected to be rubberstamped by the Scottish Parliament’s full chamber later this month.
It follows a campaign by Amanda Kopel, the wife of former Dundee United player Frank Kopel, who died in 2014.
He was diagnosed with early onset dementia aged 59 and faced bills of £1200 a month for care until he died aged 65, just weeks after he qualified for free personal care.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said the regulations were being considered “significantly ahead” of the date they come into force to enable local authorities to plan for changes to their processes around care and financial assessments.
Council umbrella group Cosla has raised concerns over an expected surge in demand once personal care charges are removed for under-65s.
The body had suggested delaying full implementation until 2021 but, appearing before the committee, health and social care spokesman, councillor Peter Johnston, said the April 2019 date had been accepted.
“This morning I would wish to make clear that Cosla accepts ministers’ desire to have full implementation by April 2019 and to stress our absolute commitment to making this timetable a reality,” he told MSPs.
He said the policy must be fully funded, with “new money”, with implementation closely monitored to ensure any increase in demand is reflected in future financial settlements for local authorities.
Local authorities currently collect about £10 million from personal care charges for under-65s but Cosla’s chief officer for health and social care, John Wood, said it was anticipated that costs could be three times higher than that figure due to rising demand when the service becomes free.
Ms Robison said: “In preparation for the extension, an implementation advisory group has been set up, making use of expertise from local authorities, health and social care partnerships, Cosla, care providers and service users, to ensure that implementation takes into account the impact of this change on local authority systems.”