A group of trade unions and charities have come together to call for the Scottish government to pause its plans for a national care service. The intervention in a letter to the First Minister came as opposition MSPs used a parliamentary debate on the NCS legislation to launch a concerted attack on what they call a “hollowed-out unfunded-mess” of a Bill.

Both the SNP’s and Scottish Green Party’s Trade Union Groups are among signatories to a letter sent last night highlighting ‘serious concerns’ about the National Care Service Bill.

The letter, co-signed by health and social care charities and trade unions, calls on Nicola Sturgeon to press pause on the Bill’s progress in order to devote ‘significantly more time’ to the service’s development – including the co-design process.

Led by the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) and think tank Common Weal, the letter says there is an ‘absence of support’ for the Bill’s content, which risks ‘creating a schism between the Scottish government and civic society’.

The move is the latest in a long list of public challenges to the Scottish government’s proposals most significantly from three parliamentary committees scrutinising the draft law.

Holyrood’s Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee branded the proposals “dangerous”, with all but two committee members agreeing the Bill as it stands should not progress.

The Finance Committee has previously raised concerns over costings of the Bill, while the Education, Children and Young People committee concluded a lack of critical left them unable to ‘form a clear view’ on whether children’s services should be included in the new service.

Just yesterday, MSPs challenged Ministers on the impact of the plans.

Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alex Cole Hamilton MSP, said the efforts of social care workers were being “sacrificed on the altar of a £1bn ministerial takeover of social care’, as he called for the government to scrap its plans for an NCS.

Paul O’Kane MSP, deputy health spokesperson for Scottish Labour, said the Bill amounted to a “hollowed-out, unfunded mess” which was not worthy of the name “national care service”.

He called for Ministers to address significant and growing concerns of front-line workers, trade unions, professional bodies, local government and people with lived experience, and give workers in the sector a meaningful pay rise and to deliver the promise to scrap non-residential care charges.

The Minister for Social Care, Kevin Stewart MSP, told MSPs that his proposals received backing from 72% of respondents and that, ultimately, the NCS will end the postcode lottery of care provision.

However, this was challenged by Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy who said a lack of detail in the consultation meant people were unable to fully assess the government’s plans, as he highlighted opposition from SNP-led councils and backbenchers.

The National Care Service (Scotland) Bill is due to go before the parliament in a Stage 1 debate next month.

The letter sent today to the First Minister calls for this date to be set aside to allow for further consultation and consideration, to ensure the NCS can provide workable solutions to the problems facing social care.

Though the 13 co-authors say that they agree with the creation of an NCS in principle, they say more time is needed to adequately codesign the foundations of a service everyone can feel proud of.

Many of the letter’s signatories – including Parkinson’s UK, Common Weal and UNISON – came together last October in a ‘coalition of concern’, where they called for significant amendments to the NCS proposals.

Union heads have since told Holyrood’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee – which is leading scrutiny of the Bill – that action on improving the lives of social care workers has been too slow.

Proposals for Fair Work, Anne’s Law and the right of carers to respite – policies which originated prior to the Bill and are, according to the letter, backed by a more extensive codesign process – should still be pursued, say the groups.

 

The full list of signatories to today’s letter to the First Minister:

• Scottish Trade Unions Council (STUC)
• Common Weal
• Parkinson’s UK
• Who Cares? Scotland
• UNISON Scotland
• Unite the Union
• GMB Scotland
• Scottish Pensioners’ Forum
• Scottish Community Alliance
• Social Work Action Network
• SNP Trade Union Group
• Scottish Greens Trade Union Group
• James Mitchell, Professor of Public Policy at University of Edinburgh

 

Read more: NCS Bill published; Embedding voices of experience into NCS plans; Legal experts: NCS Bill too vague on human rights; MSPs seek views on National Care Service Bill

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