By Bill Heaney
Dumbarton’s MSP has warned that social care in Scotland is “at breaking point” as a new report reveals a fall in care home places.
A new Care Home Census has revealed that the number of care homes in Scotland has plummeted by 18 per cent over the last decade, with the number of registered places falling by more than 2,400.
Jackie Baillie, right, Scottish Labour’s spokesperson for Health and Social Care, warned that this fall in care home capacity is not being adequately replaced with community services.
It comes after a recent report also revealed that West Dunbartonshire has one of the highest rates of people waiting in the community for a social care assessment in Scotland.
Only four of Scotland’s 30 Health and Social Care Partnerships who provided data, had more people awaiting assessment than the basket case West Dunbartonshire HSCP – with two of those listed as population-dense City of Edinburgh and Glasgow City.
Figures for West Dunbartonshire HSCP showed that 353 people were awaiting a social care assessment in the community.
By contrast, no hospital patients who reside within the area’s boundaries were listed as awaiting assessment when data was collected up to August 5th.
More than 9,300 Scots are currently waiting on a social care assessment or care package to allow them to live independently at home or in the community.
Another report published today has shown that satisfaction with services has plummeted.
The Health and Care Experience survey showed that the percentage of respondents rating their overall help, care or support as good or excellent has plummeted from 82 per cent in 2015-16 to 63 per cent in 2023-24.
This comes as opposition grows to the SNP’s National Care Service Bill, which has faced criticism from a range of stakeholders, including Trade Unions, CoSLA, care providers and NHS chiefs.
Dame Jackie Baillie, said: “Social care in Scotland is at breaking point, but the SNP is wasting time, energy and money pursuing its doomed vanity project.
“Care home places are reducing but community services aren’t equipped to fill the gap, leaving thousands of Scots stuck in limbo waiting for care.
“I know from the number of people I hear about in my constituency who have difficulties securing social care that services are under strain in West Dunbartonshire.
“Social care workers and people who rely on care services are suffering as a result of this crisis, but they have been forgotten in the SNP’s plans.
“The SNP must stop burying its head in the sand and listen to the experts warning that they are on the wrong track.
“More bureaucracy and centralisation won’t improve the care Scots receive. We urgently need a real plan to support social care workers and boost overstretched services.”
West Dunbartonshire Council’s policy of closing community care homes has been an unmitigated disaster, The Dumbarton Democrat warned about this at the time and has done so many times since. When we highlighted the fact that the Langcraigs home in Gooseholm was being closed by the council and sold off to a company with a track record for failing to keep old folk safe, the council did nothing and went ahead with the sale. The buyers were astonishingly given a £250,000 discount following a plea by Iain McLaren, an SNP councillor, pictured right, who has since resigned. Now more than 300 elderly residents are on the waiting list for assessments for social care. Cllr McLaren was asked to comment on this but refused.
Notes
Care home census for adults in Scotland:
- On 31 March 2024, there were 1,020 care homes for adults and 40,079 registered places – 18% and 6% less, respectively, compared with 31 March 2014.
- On 31 March 2024, there were an estimated 34,113 residents aged 18 years and over in care homes – 7% less than on 31 March 2014 (36,751).
- The estimated percentage occupancy on 31 March 2024 was 85%, compared to 86% on 31 March 2014.
- On 31 March 2024, residents in care homes for older people accounted for 91% of residents in all care homes for adults (31,209 out of 34,113).
People requiring a social care assessment and 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 6,160 on 2 September 2024.
- The estimated number of people assessed and waiting for a care at home package was 3,147 on 2 September 2024.
Health and Care Experience (HACE) survey – further analysis of care experience: “the percentage of respondents rating the overall help, care or support they received as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ was similar in 2015-16 (82%) and 2017-18 (82%). But it decreased to 69% in 2019-20 and decreased further in 2021-22 to 62%. In 2023-24 it remained similar to 2021-22 (at 63%).”