Warning of home care shortfall in Edinburgh

Vulnerable people who require social care packages in Edinburgh can get them only if support is withdrawn or cut for someone else, councillors have been warned.

Officials said that failure to find promised savings in health and social care had led to a deficit in care at home.

The city’s Conservatives said this meant that someone probably had to die or move in order for new people to receive care packages and warned that the council could be failing in its statutory obligations.

A budget update report revealed that the failure to find the health and social care savings contributed to a projected council overspend of £7.7 million.

Councillor Iain Whyte said: “Someone has to get better or die to allow people to get the care they require.”