Meeting of the Parliament 29 February 2024
It will make a difference through having a care service that is not only fit for today but right for tomorrow. I know that the minister is working with great effort on today, but this is about the future, as well. With an ageing population, we have to ensure that we get this absolutely spot-on right.
The need for reform of our current care system is undeniable. The disjointed and inconsistent nature of our existing system all too often leaves many people without the support that they desperately need, and that often leads to crisis for folk and their families, which is expensive and has a massive human cost. Everyone, regardless of their postcode, should have equal access to the social and healthcare support networks that they require, with national quality standards that must be met. The bill presents us with a chance to make that a reality.
At the heart of the bill lies a vision for a more integrated and streamlined service in which there are resources, standards and expertise across Scotland, to ensure greater fairness and accessibility for all. We need to focus on self-directed support, independent living, the right to short-term breaks, Anne’s law and autonomy for front-line staff. However, the focus has drifted away from those, and process and organisation have taken centre stage. They are important, of course, but we cannot become sidetracked, as that risks the bill simply becoming a rebranding exercise.
This is all about people and their needs, their hopes and their independence. The needs of people must come before the wishes of the bureaucrats, the politicians and those with vested interests who do not want to see any change at all. The service must be a people-led one and not simply a service that does things to people.
I am glad that the minister mentioned that there will be voices of lived experience on the national care board, but I also want to see the voices of lived experience on integration joint boards. I hope that the minister will tell us more about that in summing up.
Fair work also needs to be at the heart of the change. Care workers must be treated as the professionals that they are. We know that, where they are given autonomy, we get better outcomes for those who are in receipt of care and their carers. Similarly, we need to accept that we rely on an army of unpaid carers who support family and friends. I recognise that this Government has gone further than any other in these islands to support those heroes, but the right to short-term breaks is vital and must be enshrined in law.
At any one time, one in 25 Scots will need social care support. Most of us here have had support or will need support in the future. We need a social care system that is not only right for today but fit for the future.
I recognise that change is often disconcerting, but change is required here. Derek Feeley has told us so, many front-line staff have told us so and, most important, people have told us so. People who are in receipt of care and their carers want to see change, and they want to see change now.
The reform is the most important and ambitious reform that there has been since the formation of the national health service, which is our most valued institution. The national health service came about through a framework bill, so I do not know what the difficulty is with framework bills. It is time that we replicated that valued institution and matched it with a national care service that works for people. Let us stop the dither and delay and get on with creating a national care service that meets the needs of all our people.
16:09