Meeting of the Parliament 14 November 2018
Labour lodged the motion for debate today in order to highlight what we see as some of the challenges that are faced by providers of health and social care. We have always been supportive of the integration of health and social care services and the setting up of the integration joint boards, while being clear that community care must never be seen as care on the cheap and therefore must be funded to ensure the highest level of quality and support to meet individuals’ needs.
Age Scotland states that a lack of social care has a direct impact on other vital services, such as the national health service. In September 2018, figures showed that four in 10 people who were ready to leave hospital waited more than a month to do so. That represents too many older people at risk of losing their mobility and independence, which puts their health and wellbeing at risk. Age Scotland also states that the Scottish Government must urgently take action to reduce that figure and ensure that health and social care is adequately funded for every older person who needs it.
The Labour leader of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Councillor David Ross of Fife Council, has called on the Government to recognise the key role that social care plays in the health system and provide additional funding to support that. He states:
“If spending on the NHS continues to be protected, then so should social care spending.”
He continues:
“Expecting the NHS to transfer adequate funding into social care from acute lacks transparency and is unrealistic.”
He goes on to say:
“There is concern that in the past, additional funding for social care has been channelled through the NHS and some of this has been creamed off before reaching social care services.”
There needs to be more transparency around funding for health and social care.