Holyrood National Care Service probe warned of ‘mass exodus’ of workers
SOCIAL care companies are facing a “mass exodus” of staff amid unprecedented pressures on their workforce.
Speaking to MSPS on Holyrood’s health committee, a group of care companies and other organisations said many of their workers were leaving the sector for better paid jobs with better conditions elsewhere.
Some staff are leaving for similar roles within the NHS, where shifts are more regular and conditions are more favourable, MSPS were told.
The warning came as the committee continued scrutiny of plans for a new National Care Service.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf introduced the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill in June promising to end what he described as the “postcode lottery of care”.
The legislation which is currently making its way through Holyrood will see the government set up “care boards” directly accountable to the Scottish Ministers, who will take on functions and staff that are currently managed and run by local authorities and health boards.
Nicola Sturgeon has described it as the most significant reform to public services since the creation of the NHS.
Criticism of the Bill has been mounting, with MSPS, councils, unions and organisations and carer’s charities urging the government to pause or think again.
Audit Scotland has raised serious concerns about the financial memorandum accompanying the legislation. They warned that ministers had underestimated “the margin of uncertainty” in their cost estimates, which have ranged from £650 million to £1.3 billion.
Nick Price, representing the Granite Care Consortium, said: “We’ve always managed to recruit, but the recruitment pressures now are ones that we’ve never seen before.”
Margaret Mccarthy, chief executive of Crossroads Caring Scotland, said there had been a “mass exodus” of staff.
She said: “I think if we could come to a point where there’s consistency of rates of pay – that really means rates of how we’re paid for delivery – I think it will make a big difference.”