It's time to face up to reality on Scotland's hamstrung National Care Service

The Scottish Government finds itself stuck between a rock and a hard place over the National Care Service.

The latest setback in the bid to press ahead with the plans came yesterday with Scottish Greens members using their party’s conference in Greenock to vote overwhelmingly to remove support for the National Care Service Bill.

The result means the Government no longer has the numbers it needs to pass the legislation.

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And with both council leaders and the unions having pulled their support for the flagship care plans, ministers lack the crucial backing of key stakeholders needed to make the Bill a success.

The Scottish Government continues to press ahead with its planned National Care Service despite mounting opposition. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesThe Scottish Government continues to press ahead with its planned National Care Service despite mounting opposition. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
The Scottish Government continues to press ahead with its planned National Care Service despite mounting opposition. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Despite the mounting opposition, Health Secretary Neil Gray has repeatedly insisted there is a need to "complete the job".

And yesterday, when confronted over the hurdles for the National Care Service (NCS), Finance Secretary Shona Robison stressed the legislation was not dead.

She said: “One of the voices that really hasn't been heard as much as it perhaps should have been is the voices of disabled people and carers and those who are service users, who rely on social care services, who are very clear they want to see a National Care Service.”

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However, Ms Robison also acknowledged “clearly there will have to be compromise” on the plans. The reality is there may have to be more than just compromise.

Almost £30 million has already been spent on the NCS plans. And ministers have already pushed back the service’s rollout by at least three years after documents showed it would take £2.2 billion to deliver.

There is no doubting the objectives of the NCS are admirable.

But with Ms Robison already having announced £500 million of spending cuts in September – and with the Government grappling with the need to significantly reduce costs further in the Scottish Budget in December – the NCS is increasingly looking like a flagship policy that ministers simply cannot afford.

It is time for the Government to get honest with the public about what it can actually do – and deliver – and revise its plans now before more money is wasted.

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