By Bill Heaney
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today called on the SNP Government to finally invest in care services and staff after a new report found that there are staff vacancies in almost three quarters of care homes and two thirds of care at homes services across Scotland.
A report by the Care Inspectorate and Scottish Social Services Council found that in 2023:
- 74% of care homes for older people were reporting vacancies.
- 68% of care homes for adults were reporting vacancies.
- 67% of care at home services were reporting vacancies.
Mr Cole-Hamilton, pictured left, said: “Care services are stretched to breaking point. Vacancies are rife, meaning more and more demand will simply not be met.
“The SNP Government wasted four years and £30 million attempting a bureaucratic takeover of social care that was never going to fix core problems. Now they have finally ditched their plans, it’s time to finally invest in the staff and services who need help now.
“Only Scottish Liberal Democrats have a plan to fix the crisis by introducing a new minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher. That’s how we can people care at home or in the community, free up space in hospitals and help everyone get seen faster.”
West Dunbartonshire Council refused to comment on the situation here.
You can find the full report here
Meanwhile, responding to new figures showing only 63.5% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 2nd March, while 3,532 people waited over 8 hours and 1,510 waited over 12 hours, Alex Cole-Hamilton said:
“For years under the SNP our A&E departments have been left mired in crisis and it’s leading to staff burning out.
“The problem at A&E is that there isn’t enough capacity. Too many people are stuck unable to leave hospital because they can’t get the care package they need to leave safely.
“We cannot fix these A&E waits without fixing the problems in social care to create the capacity needed to get people seen on time. That’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats fought for more money for social care in the budget and back a new UK-wide minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher.”