Social care ‘ticking time bomb’ means 90,000 more staff needed

FIONA MCKAY

cope with projected closures and population growth.

Alan Bennett, director at JLL Alternatives in Scotland, said: “Our report shows a growing need across Scotland for additional staff in the care sector to look after older people with long-term care needs.

“However, the issue of staff shortages is severely compounded by a reduction in the pool of the working age population.”

Dr Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, representing independent health and social care providers, said though it was “difficult to quantify” the precise amount of investment “we would concur there is requiring a substantial investment within the sector to take account of the rising demographic and the increased dependency of those entering into care homes”.

He also said that, compounded with current workforce crisis, the current system was not sustainable without investment.

Keith Robson, charity director of Age Scotland, said the organisation was “concerned about issues in the care sector around funding and staffing” and it was vital to plan ahead to prepare for future care needs.

Mr Bennett also said the shortfalls would be most pronounced in Lanarkshire, Fife and the Highlands.

A spokeswoman for Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire said it was “well aware of the ticking time bomb of a lack of staff in this field set against increasing demand,” and was working to address the problem.

This included the creation of a Health and Social Care Academy aimed at creating jobs in this sector, she added.

Fiona McKay, from Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, said the body had

serious “developed a range of models of community care as part of our strategic planning process, to ensure people receive the right care and support, at the right time, in the right setting based on individual needs”.

A spokesman for NHS Highlands said it was working with the University of the Highlands and Islands and a range of colleges to “continue to assess and monitor staff requirements using workforce planning and explain ways by which local education providers can train adequate staff”.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said the NHS was investing almost £500 million of frontline funding into social care and integration, giving more people the right care in the right setting.

She said: “The integration of health and social care plays a key part in this, by placing a greater emphasis on community-based and preventative care, which will equip our services for future challenges.”