Cole-Hamilton: Almost 12,000 waiting on social care can't afford ministerial takeover

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today called on Humza Yousaf, as one of his first acts as First Minister, to “scrap, not salvage” the ministerial takeover of social care after new figures showed that there are still almost 12,000 people in Scotland waiting to be assessed or have a care package arranged.  

Figures from Public Health Scotland showed that:  

• 7,212 people, as of 20th March 2023, are waiting for a social care assessment in Scotland  

• 4,385 people, as of 20th February 2023, have been assessed and waiting for a package in Scotland  

• These two figures combined mean that there are 11,597 people either waiting for a social care assessment or waiting for a care packaged to be arranged.

• 41,851 hours of care at home are yet to be provided to assessed individuals, as of 20th February 2023  

Mr Cole Hamilton said:  

“As these figures show, the social care crisis is intensifying by the day; we need action now, not in five years’ time.

“People can't afford the SNP's doomed takeover of social care, which is why Yousaf must ditch it immediately. This ridiculous scheme would put billions of pounds into a bureaucratic overhaul before it would provide better pay and conditions for staff. It needs scrapped, not salvaged.

“The First Minister needs to listen to those he ignored and opposed as Health Secretary. The trade unions, COSLA, health board bosses, his own backbenchers and numerous other organisations, all of whom say these proposals won’t work.

“Charging ahead with proposals to consume gargantuan sums of money which won’t address the core problems in the sector is mind-bogglingly out of touch.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see this money spent on better pay, conditions and career progression for staff now, as well as bringing in guaranteed standards and entitlements for those who depend on social care.”