Councils withdraw support for National Care Service plan

Scotland's national care service would have taken social care responsibility away from councils

Councils have voted to withdraw support for the Scottish government’s flagship National Care Service plan.

Local government body Cosla said council leaders had concerns about proposed legislation and that several organisations - including those in the care sector - had expressed doubt over the government's approach.

The service, which would have transferred social care responsibility from councils to a new national service, was already delayed for three years due to cost saving measures.

This month the GMB and Unison unions also withdrew their support for the bill, which has been hindered by delays and rising costs.

The Scottish government previously described the National Care Service Bill, which is currently passing through parliament, as the "biggest public service reform in Scotland since devolution".

Cosla said it did still support some of the measures outlined in the legislation, including enhanced support for unpaid carers, care home visitation rights and efforts to improve the experience of the social work and social care workforce.

But health and social care spokesman, councillor Paul Kelly, said the bill did not represent the work that councils had contributed to the proposals.

He said: “It is important that the views of people accessing, working in and planning front-line support services are listened to, both with regards to the National Care Service legislation and also the improvements needed to overcome the sustained financial and workforce pressures being experienced across Scotland.

“Local government is committed to continuing our engagement with key areas of reform which can deliver improved outcomes for people, unpaid carers and our workforce.

"We cannot, however, offer our support for the legislation brought forward at this stage”

The Scottish government said it was "extremely disappointing" that some Cosla leaders have chosen to "frustrate progress" towards a national care service.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd said: “Creating the National Care Service is about improving people’s lives and ensuring consistency of care across Scotland.

“We have been in detailed negotiations with local government for almost two years and have listened to and acted on their concerns.

"While there are some areas that are still contentious, walking away from this vital reform shows total disregard for the people we all serve."

Cost-saving delay

In December 2023, the then-health secretary, Michael Matheson, announced the service would not be rolled out until the 2028-29 period.

The service was designed to help elderly, disabled or homeless people, as well as those with addictions, families and unpaid carers, under one banner.

It promised to establish a system whereby people could move between different types of care as their needs changed.

The original proposal, initially estimated to cost between £644m and £1.26bn over five years, was to introduce the National Care Service by the end of the 2026 parliamentary term.

But Mr Matheson said he had been forced to delay it in an effort to stop costs rising above £2bn.

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, accused the SNP of “botching” the plan, adding that it would “not deliver the social care change that Scotland needs”.

She added: “Social care in Scotland is at breaking point, but the SNP’s plans will deliver a National Care Service in name only – it will not fund a single extra care worker, nor will it fix any of the fundamental issues in our social care sector.

“Scottish Labour will not sign a blank cheque for SNP incompetence that could expose the public purse to eye-watering costs – that is why we voted against this flawed Bill at Stage 1. It now seems that many of the key stakeholders believe that the legislation is so flawed it should not proceed.”

Conservative health spokesman, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, added: “SNP ministers must finally accept that the game is up for their botched National Care Service plan.

“Virtually every major stakeholder is opposed to this bill, so the SNP must admit defeat, rather than continuing to throw good money after bad on this doomed and unaffordable project.”

The National Care Service was originally pitched as the most ambitious reform since devolution. But it’s been repeatedly delayed and scaled back, and now faces existential questions.

Councils never liked the idea of a new central body sweeping up responsibility for services and staffing.

Last year, the government agreed that local authorities would remain in control of the key measures, in a “shared accountability” model.

Cosla was negotiating on behalf of the 32 councils about how that would work – but their withdrawal from those talks is a hammer blow to the plans.

It’s incredibly difficult to picture how the service can go ahead in any form without the cooperation of councils, given they are the ones who deliver care on the front lines.

And when the government is also extremely short on financial and political capital, it’s not over the top to say the future of the National Care Service is hanging in the balance.