A charity has called for social care support to be resumed at levels available before the pandemic as soon as it is “clinically safe to do so”.

The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland has also urged more consultation with those most likely to be disadvantaged by the easing of lockdown, including disabled people, those with long-term conditions and unpaid carers.

In a paper responding to the Scottish Government’s framework document on transitioning out of lockdown, the Alliance says covid-19 is a “defining public health emergency for the 21^st Century”.

While acknowledging the strain responding to the crisis has placed on public bodies, it says the role of social care “remains unappreciated” in the approach being taken.

Concerns have been raised that the mantra of ‘preserve the NHS at all costs’ during the pandemic has sometimes been at the expense of the social care sector.

The Alliance acknowledges NHS capacity is a priority, but says the key role social care will have in any national recovery from covid-19 must be recognised:

“If social care – from local authorities, the private sector, and third sector providers – is stretched beyond its capacity, and local authorities continue to cap social care services, this will have a profound impact on the lives of people living with long term conditions, disabled people and unpaid carers, and also create significant issues for the NHS.”

There will be a “difficult task” of ensuring that people can access support as quickly as possible, while ensuring services are not overwhelmed, the paper says.

But it adds: “We believe that clarity is required over the priority with which health and social care services which have been suspended will return.

“We recognise that elective procedures and screening services need to return as quickly as possible.

“However, further consideration should be given to the relaxation of social care eligibility criteria and assessments.”

Last month Health Secretary Jeane Freeman urged councils not to cut critical support after it emerged some care for older or disabled people had been removed entirely during the pandemic.

The paper highlights that some areas have increased their eligibility criteria for accessing Self-directed Support, and that for many people social care packages have already been reduced and/or stopped.

“The Alliance believes that it is imperative to the wellbeing of disabled people, people living with long term conditions, and unpaid carers that narrowed social care eligibility criteria should be relaxed.

“As soon as it is clinically safe to do so, support should be resumed at – as a minimum – the level it was at before the pandemic began.”

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