By Lucy Ashton
The Scottish Conservatives have today reiterated calls for Humza Yousaf to ditch his “reckless” National Care Service (NCS) proposals after new figures revealed the already “eye-watering” costs of preparing for it.
The response to a Freedom of Information request from the party shows that the number of civil servants working on the SNP’s controversial plans has quadrupled in the space of a year – from 40 in February 2022 to 166 in February 2023.
The salary bill to the taxpayer for civil servants working on the much-criticised NCS is almost £7 million since August 2021 – with a whopping £989,000 spent in November 2022 alone.
Scottish Conservative shadow minister for social care Craig Hoy MSP has urged the new First Minister Humza Yousaf – who himself unveiled this policy as SNP health secretary – to “swallow his pride and ditch these costly plans” which it’s estimated will top £1.3 billion in total.
Conservative shadow minister for social care Craig Hoy MSP and Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie.
The Scottish Conservatives are instead calling for resources to be reallocated to under-funded councils, who they say are better placed to determine local care needs than SNP ministers.
Craig Hoy MSP said: “Humza Yousaf is virtually the only person who still thinks his reckless, unaffordable plan for a National Care Service is a good idea.
“These eye-watering figures reveal the already-huge cost implications of his proposals, not to mention the use of valuable civil service resources.
“As health secretary, Humza Yousaf was an architect of this misguided policy – which has been opposed by virtually every stakeholder, including SNP MSPs. But it’s time for him to swallow his pride and ditch it now.
“These plans are unworkable and it is clear from these statistics that this project is already costing a fortune.
“Social care is in crisis in Scotland but the last thing we need is this bureaucratic nightmare, which will only divert scarce funds away from frontline care services.
“Kicking the NCS into the long grass, by merely delaying it, won’t cut it. Humza Yousaf must admit he got it wrong and stop pouring good money after bad.
“He should instead pass this funding on to Scotland’s councils, which are far better placed than SNP ministers to determine local care needs in their areas.”
Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton constituency MSP, said: “NHS and social care staff who were on the frontline at the height of the Covid pandemic must have their voices heard.
“It is imperative that any investigations into the pandemic, whether they be criminal inquiries or the public inquiry examine all of the evidence from those who saw first-hand what happened, the mistakes that were made. These testimonies should shape the lessons which must be learned to prevent tragedy on such a scale from occurring again.
“Three years on from the start of the pandemic, we are still waiting for the public inquiry in Scotland to properly begin. The SNP government continually say they cannot intervene in this matter but it is important that this starts sooner rather than later so society, and most notably those who lost loved ones due to Covid, get the answers they need and deserve.”
The number of civil servants working on the National Care Service has quadrupled in the space of a year. In February 2022, there were 40 civil servants working on the NCS Bill, including two senior civil servants. By February 2023, this had increased to 166, including three senior civil servants. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 28 March 2023). FOI attached.
Civil servant work on the National Care Service has cost the taxpayer almost £7 million. Since August 2021, the SNP Government have spent £6,993,000 on civil servants to work on the NCS bill, with £989,000 spent in November 2022 alone. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 28 March 2023). FOI attached.