By Bill Heaney

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has urged the SNP government to do much more to tackle the social care crisis as new figures revealed that the number of people waiting on social care assessments and care at home packages is the highest since the spring of 2023.

Figures from Public Health Scotland published today reveal that as at 8th September:

There were 10,897 people waiting on social care assessments and care at home packages- the highest number of people waiting since April 2023.
Of them, 7,762 people were estimated to be waiting on a social care assessment for a care package to enable them to live independently at home or in the community- an almost 25% increase on the number of people waiting at the same time last year.
The remaining number, 3,135, were assessed and were waiting for a care at home package.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Due to the failures of this SNP government, more and more people are stuck in hospital waiting for care packages and assessments when they want to be getting on with their lives.

“You can’t fix the NHS unless you fix care because the more patients are delayed in leaving hospital, the longer people wait at A&E and the longer ambulances wait outside the front door.

“Only Scottish Liberal Democrats are focused on repairing the crisis in social care and unpicking the damage done by the SNP. We secured millions more through our budget negotiations on care and this is money which can start unpicking years of damage caused by the SNP. Whilst this money can be beneficial for the care sector, what is really needed is a change of government.”

Kinship carers at a meeting in West Dunbartonshire.

People requiring a social care assessment and care at home

Public Health Scotland has presented the latest statistics on the total number of people waiting for an assessment for social care services, the number of people waiting for a care at home package following an assessment and the weekly number of hours of care they are waiting for.

The number of people estimated to be waiting on a social care assessment for a package of care was 7,762 on 8 September 2025. This is an increase of just under 25% from the estimated number of people waiting this time last year (9 September 2024).
The estimated number of people assessed and waiting for a care at home package was 3,135 on 8 September 2025. This is similar to the number of people (3,122) waiting for a care at home package this time last year (9 September 2024).
Of those people in Scotland waiting for care at home following an assessment of their needs, the total estimated number of weekly hours of care that they were waiting to receive was 27,904 as at 8 September 2025. This represents a decrease of just over 8% from the estimated number of hours at this time last year (9 September 2024). Changes in the number of hours will reflect the variation in both the number of people waiting for a care at home package and the differing level of care packages required for each person.

This is a line chart with two lines, one showing the trend in the number of people waiting for a care at home package and the second the trend in the number of hours of care at home to be delivered. The chart presents information from 10 March 2025 to 8 September 2025. In relation to the estimated number of people waiting for a care at home package, in the time period presented the number of people increased from an estimated 2,895 on 10 March 2025 to an estimated 3,376 on 21 July 2025. Between April and June 2025, the figures generally fluctuated between around 2,879 and 2,923, before rising steadily over the summer months to 3,376 on 21 July 2025. Since then figures have generally decreased, with some fluctuation to 3,135 on 8 September 2025. In relation to the estimated number of hours of care at home still to be delivered, the number generally decreased from an estimated 28,787 hours on 10 March 2025 to 26,050 on 12 May 2025. There was then a gradual increase to 27,148 on 9 June 2025 with a sharper increase to 32,594 on 21 July 2025. Since then figures have generally decreased, with some fluctuation, to an estimated 27,904 hours on 8 September 2025. Changes in the number of hours reflect both the variation in the number of people waiting for a care at home package and the differing levels of care packages required for each person. — **Number of People assessed and waiting for a care at home package and the number of hours of care required for these care at home packages in Scotland (estimated)**

Local Authorities provide social care services to enable people to live independently with control, freedom, choice, and dignity at home or in a homely setting in their community. This includes people who are frail, have long term conditions or disabilities. Packages of care at home ensures support with personal care (for example personal hygiene, continence management, simple treatments) and support with other tasks around the house (for example cleaning or meal preparation).

Care at Home services are planned and delivered by Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs), and are delivered through Local Authority in-house teams, independent providers, and the Third Sector. Each HSCP plans services based on the needs of the local population and existing support services available in the Local Authority, such as housing services. Therefore, the type of services that come under the heading of Care at Home varies across the country.