Conservatives say waiting times for care packages ‘unacceptably long’

Conservatives have criticised the “unacceptably long” waits some elderly people in Scotland face for care packages after figures showed more than a quarter of those with substantial needs were not assessed within six weeks.

Scottish Government statistics covering the period January to March this year showed 26 per cent of this group had to wait longer than six weeks for an assessment to be carried out. Of those, 14 per cent had “critical” needs, which was the highest classification.

A total of 8,746 people were assessed over the three months to see if they would benefit from a care package – the highest number for the quarter since 2012.

But while 55 per cent of people started receiving care in two weeks or less, 6 per cent had to wait more than six weeks to start getting help.

Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs MSP said: “The figures show that the Scottish Government has clearly failed to ensure that patients requiring social and personal care are identified and supported in a timely and comprehensive way.”

Mr Briggs added: “Social care patients must be supported in the most suitable settings. However, at present many patients are facing an unacceptably long wait for social care packages.”

A total of 6,154 people across Scotland started receiving a personal care service in the first three months of this year, up from 4,440 people during the same period last year.

Mr Briggs continued: “In some cases this lack of coordination will delay their hospital discharge and in other cases patients are forced to live in completely unsuitable and unsupported environments.

“For patients, carers and family members it is extremely distressing waiting this long for assessment and care packages.”