What is the SNP’s National Care Service, and is it already in crisis?

A Perthshire care home boss signalled alarm bells over the SNP’s proposed National Care Service and warns it may harm frontline care.

Nicola Sturgeon’s vision for overhauling services by 2026 has been criticised for lacking detail and dogged by questions over where funding will come from.

Has her plan hit a major stumbling block?

What is the National Care Service?

A new National Care Service will merge all social and personal care services into one body run by the Scottish Government, if it’s approved.

The new national body would then be split into regional boards across Scotland.

This organisation would then be answerable to health ministers in Holyrood instead of local councils.

But critics aren’t sure the model is viable.

Why is there opposition?

Care bosses, council chiefs and trade unions have warned there’s no guarantee a National Care Service will help a sector that’s already struggling.

Robert Kilgour, who runs care homes across Scotland, fears the government is “ploughing ahead” despite concerns.

He said: “I’m not convinced it’s going to improve things on the frontline. Just introducing a national care service won’t necessarily improve care.

“We haven’t had the Covid inquiry to see what lessons could be learned, yet they’re ploughing ahead in a blinkered fashion.”

He added: “I fear it’s a political marketing exercise. It’s a further land grab for central control.”

Much of the scepticism over the new model circles back to a recurring theme: nobody knows how it will work or what will change.

Dundee and Angus demand details

In a major consultation, Dundee and Angus public bodies said they had been given no evidence a National Care Service would lead to improvements.

Dundee’s Health and Social Care Partnership said they were not opposed to reform, but claimed the proposals “lacked sufficient detail” to give them confidence.

They said it was “unlikely” the new model would help make things better.

Angus Council agreed it was “not possible” to judge whether the plan was a good idea.

Mr Kilgour claimed the Scottish Government had not done enough to explain why the new care service is necessary.

He told us: “They’re not prepared to engage with key stakeholders in a meaningful way.

“In principle I’m supportive. But you’ve got so many different groups against the way the government is ploughing on.”

Is it affordable?

Launching a health body modelled after the NHS is a big ask at any time – but doing so in the current economic climate is an even tougher task.

SNP ministers have faced questions over whether they can justify huge funding commitments to the project when cuts are being made elsewhere.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney was forced to defend plans to spend more than £1 billion on the new care service while slashing mental health funding.

Public spending body Audit Scotland warned costs could continue to rise.

Will the SNP stick by their proposals if further cuts have to follow?

How will it serve Courier country?

Many areas in Scotland outside the central belt have different needs when it comes to social care.

There are concerns a centralised body may not work for residents in Tayside.

Angus Health and Social Care Partnership said a national service may result in the “loss of some innovative change suited to specific geographical areas”.

North East Tory MSP Tess White said: “The SNP government’s one-size-fits-all approach will have stark consequences for how care is delivered across Tayside.

“Services outside the central belt inevitably suffer when ministers grab power from local providers.

“We’ve seen the impact of this centralising agenda on rural healthcare, and we cannot let social care go the same way.”

Tough project for Kevin Stewart

Launching a national care service has long been one of Ms Sturgeon’s flagship policies and her party has shown no signs of reversing course.

In a Holyrood committee, social care minister Kevin Stewart dismissed fears over a lack of detail.

He said: “There are stakeholders who are not content with all aspects of this – but what I would point out to the chamber is that this is about people.”

However, further pressure will continue to mount on the SNP in the months to come as details become clearer and it progresses through Holyrood.