The Scottish National Party government has abandoned plans for a national care service despite investing nearly £30 million in the initiative. Ministers conceded defeat after trade unions, councils, and opposition parties withdrew their support for the ambitious restructuring. The proposed National Care Service aimed to standardize care quality and wages across Scotland, addressing issues exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the bill, which included creating a national care board, was criticized as a power grab from local councils, and the SNP lacked sufficient votes in the Scottish Parliament for its passage. The government will now proceed with a scaled-down version, focusing on strengthening care home residents' rights and establishing a non-statutory national advisory board.
The SNP Government has ditched plans for a national care service despite spending nearly £30m on the doomed shake-up. Ministers finally admitted defeat after trade unions, councils and rival parties withdrew support for the huge restructuring.
In a Holyrood statement, Social Care Minister Maree Todd said the Government had axed plans for "structural" reform: "I realise this will be a source of disappointment to many, particularly those with lived experience, who have been clear that greater transparency and scrutiny is necessary to drive the improvement we all agree is needed.
Ministers will persevere with a slimmed-down version of the Bill which will include strengthening the rights of people in care homes. They also plan to introduce a national "advisory board" but this will be on a non-statutory basis. "Scottish Labour welcomes the remaining provisions, but it's clear that the National Care Service is no more — what a waste of time and money without making a single improvement to social care or difference to Scots' lives.
NATIONAL CAREGOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE SCOTLAND POLITICS SOCIAL CARE
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