By Lucy Ashton
Social care in Scotland is at breaking point, Scottish Labour has warned as the number of people waiting for a social care assessment rises.
A new report has shown that the number of people estimated to be waiting on a social care assessment to enable them to live independently at home or in the community was just over 6,250 on 8 January 2024.
The number of people stuck on this waiting list has soared by an estimated 331 in the space of just three weeks, hitting its highest point in half a year.
A further 3,700 people were estimated to be assessed and waiting for a care at home package at this time.
Scottish Labour branded these figures a “disgrace” and criticised the SNP’s botched National Care Service plans.
Scottish Labour Health and Social Care spokesperson Jackie Baillie, left, said “Social care in Scotland is at breaking point, but the SNP is wasting all of its time and money on its botched National Care Service.
“The bill for this bureaucratic nightmare keeps rising, while frontline services are crying out for support and staff are still overworked and underpaid.
“Almost 10,000 Scots are stuck in limbo waiting for assessments and care packages they desperately need to be able to live independently.
“These delays cause needless suffering for individuals and pile pressure on to the rest of our health and social care system.
“The SNP must get a grip of the mess they have made of the National Care Service and set out a real plan to support these vital services.”
Social care – demand for care at home services
- The number of people estimated to be waiting on a social care assessment to enable them to live independently at home or in the community was just over 6,250 on 8 January 2024. This is up from 5,926 on 18 December 2023.
- The estimated number of people assessed and waiting for a care at home package was just under 3,700 on 8 January 2024.