Concern raised over new National Care Service
Concerns have been raised that a new National Care Service will‘erode’the successes in East Ayrshire.
The Scottish Government is consulting on the proposals for the biggest shake-up of care in decades, with responsibility for care services moving from councils to Holyrood.
It follows a review which was critical of care services across Scotland.
Councillors from SNP, Labour and Conservatives expressed their worries that the standards of care will be hit as resources are spread across Scotland to poorer performing areas.
Council leader Douglas Reid said that there were positives in the NCS proposals, including fair working conditions, support for carers and issues that have become visible during the pandemic. However, he warned there were also‘threats’.
The SNP member said:“East Ayrshire has a good reputation in terms of how we deal with health and social care. That’s not uniform across the country, sadly. We’ve built a strong internal service in terms of care, with very good performances by our own staff.
“I would hate to see all that good work eroded and would defend it to the hilt against any threat.”
Labour councillor John McGhee, backed this view.“We have got a very successful model. I have got real concerns about the role of local government and our staff.
“It is not just the care provided, it is the financial work as well.”
Former provost councillor Jim Todd argued that another issue was added to the equation in the form of those fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Cllr Todd hit out at the‘shocking’ decision making that led to the crisis, calling on the UK to welcome refugees with open arms. He pointed out that the care provision will be affected by the addition of refugees using the service and added: “This will have an impact on our care service. I hope the UK stands up to its responsibilities because they are the ones who caused it. It is not just the folks who have been displaced. I have had a couple of guys [from the armed forces] who are astonished in the way this has been handled.”
Conservative Tom Cook praised the East Ayrshire Integration Joint Board that oversees the partnership between the council and the NHS.
He said:“I am concerned about where staff end up. Are they going to be council employees or go over to private enterprise?”
The Scottish Government consultation states:“The proposed reforms around social care represent one of the most significant pieces of public service reform to be proposed by the Scottish Government, and have the potential to be the biggest public sector reform in Scotland for decades.
“The implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care (IRASC), and particularly the establishment of a National Care Service (NCS), is an opportunity to address some of the challenges across social care highlighted before and during the pandemic.”