A Scottish Parliament inquiry into social care is being extended to take account of the effects of covid-19 and lessons for the future of care in Scotland.

‘Targeted’ engagement looking at home care services during the crisis has been added to the health committee’s inquiry, following an evidence session on care homes at the start of this month.

In an update to its webpage, the committee says its new social care inquiry will examine the impact of covid-19 on the care sector, as well as ‘wider issues’ that have come to light during the pandemic.

It will also explore how lessons from the virus “can be applied in the future”.

There has been growing support from politicians, including Nicola Sturgeon, for a national care service after the crisis.

The union Unison backed the move this week, saying the “only solution” was to remodel the care system along the lines of the NHS.

But others say this would be the wrong answer, in part because it could take choice away from individuals who receive support.

There are also questions about what would happen to voluntary and non-profit care providers.

A series of roundtables on the future of social care convened by healthandcare.scot earlier this year revealed a catalogue of challenges that pre-dated the pandemic.

Complaints raised at the meetings by the providers who employ care workers and run care homes included councils that were concerned only with the “cheapest price” routinely underpaying for services.

Others said the ongoing integration of health and social care services had left some care providers in certain areas in a “halfway house”.

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