by Democrat reporter
The crisis in social care is spiralling under the SNP after new figures revealed almost one in five care homes for adults has closed over the past decade.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Angus MacDonald has today revealed the new census figures for this section of the care sector.
West Dunbartonshire Council refuse to reveal the local figures to readers of the Dumbarton Democrat and will not tell us how many people are on the waiting list for care home places.
However, Public Health Scotland’s Care Home Census for Adults in Scotland reveals that between 31st March 2015 and 31st March 2025 there was an 18% drop in the number of care homes for adults. In the same period, the number of registered places fell by 5%.
Seventeen care homes closed between 2024 and 2025 alone, despite the number of residents increasing.
Separate figures also show that as at 6th October, there were 11,215 people waiting on social care assessments and care at home packages- the highest number of people waiting since April 2023.
Earlier this month, Mr MacDonald hosted a conference on adult social care, bringing together policymakers, practitioners and sector leaders to discuss the growing challenges facing health and social care across the region.
He said: “This is a damming verdict on the state of social care under the SNP. Those who know the sector best understand that as more homes shut their doors, more people struggle to access care close to home.
“The SNP do not have a clue how to fix things. They wasted tens of millions of pounds trying to centralise services, a power grab that they were ultimately forced to junk. That money could have paid the salaries of 1,200 new care workers.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats are the party of care, which is why I recently held a conference that was all about finding solutions for people in the Highlands who have been badly affected by an onslaught of care home closures.
“Everyone working in and using our social care services deserve better. We want to see change with fairness at its heart, and you can vote for that next May by marking a cross next to the Scottish Liberal Democrats on your second, peach-coloured regional ballot paper.”
All care homes for adults in Scotland: 31 March 2025 compared with 31 March 2015
- On 31 March 2025, there were 1,003 care homes for adults and 39,919 registered places – 18% and 5% less, respectively, compared with 31 March 2015.
- On 31 March 2025, there were an estimated 34,289 residents aged 18 years and over in care homes – 5% less than on 31 March 2015 (36,193).
- The estimated percentage occupancy on 31 March 2025 was 86% – the same as on 31 March 2015.
- On 31 March 2025, residents in care homes for older people accounted for 92% of residents in all care homes for adults (31,433 out of 34,289).
- Residents in care homes for Learning Disabilities, Mental Health Problems, Physical and Sensory Impairment and Other (Problematic Alcohol and Drug use and Blood Borne Virus) accounted for 8% (2,856) of residents in all care homes on 31 March 2025.
Care homes for older people (65 years and over) in Scotland
• Most care home provision is delivered by the private sector. On 31 March 2025 there were 84% of all residents in care homes for older people run by the private sector, compared to 10% in the Local Authority/Health Board sector, and 7% in the Voluntary or not for profit sector.
• The estimated number of residents in private sector care homes for older people was 26,293 on 31 March 2025. This is 2% more than on 31 March 2015 (25,700). Over the same period, the estimated number of residents decreased by 37% in the voluntary or not for profit sector to 2,096, and by 19% in the Local Authority/Health Board sector to 3,044.
• On 31 March 2025, there were an estimated 30,484 long stay residents in care homes for older people (in all sectors). Of these, an estimated 19,288 (63%) had dementia (either medically diagnosed or suspected).
• The estimated number of admissions for long stay residents to care homes for older people (in all sectors) was 9% higher in 2024/25, compared to 2014/15. Over the same period, the estimated number of admissions for respite residents was 68% lower. This decrease is particularly noticeable during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 14% reduction from 2014/15 to 2018/19 and a 70% reduction from 2018/19 to 2021/22. Since then, there has been an increase of 26%.
Meanwhile in the United States, US healthcare property group Welltower has confirmed that it is acquiring the portfolio of the Barchester Healthcare nursing home group, mainly owned by Irish billionaires JP McManus, Dermot Desmond and John Magnier, for £5.2 billion (€5.96 billion).
As part of the transaction, Welltower has formed an exclusive long-term partnership with Barchester, which is considered to be among the best performing operators in the UK, the New York-listed company said in a statement.
The portfolio comprises 263 homes. Of these, 111 are managed on a type of contract where the owner of the property shares the operating income from the underlying homes. A further 152 so-called triple-net lease properties see the operator paying the lease and any operating expenses. A further 21 homes are being developed.