SNP Government to bypass COSLA to help salvage troubled national care service bill

Neil Gray said he will work with "individual" councils after the official group for local authorities walked away from the Bill

Health Secretary Neil Gray has called on council chiefs to come back to the table to salvage his troubled national care service plan. Gray said he was “disappointed” local authority group COSLA had withdrawn support, but suggested he would bypass them by talking to individual councils.

The Government’s national care service proposal involves a huge shake up of the sector in a bid to drive up standards and wages. The plan, which involves creating a new national care board, has been seen as a power grab from councils and NHS boards.

COSLA walked away from the Bill last week and three major trade unions have also withdrawn support. Gray, in an attempt at salvaging legislation that has already been re-written, was quizzed about the crisis at Holyrood.

He said the Government had worked extensively with COSLA for two years and made substantial changes to the Bill. He added that he was “more than a little disappointed” about the decision to walk away and claimed agreement had been reached on the “vast majority” of issues.

Asked by SNP MSP Jackie Dunbar if he agreed that everyone should get back round the table, he said: “Yes, I do.”

He said the policy is not about “party politics” and said it is “crucial” people who use social care are at the heart of reform: “We will continue to work with individual councils. The door is open, should COSLA wish to engage too.”

This could mean Gray dealing directly with SNP council leaders, who voted against withdrawal when the matter was voted on last week. COSLA chiefs voted 18-14 to end support.

COSLA’s Health & Social Care Spokesperson, Paul Kelly, said at the time: “Local Government cannot support the amended National Care Service Bill brought forward by Scottish Government.

“Local Government has been committed to working in partnership with the Scottish Government to develop proposals to deliver a National Care Service, but unfortunately the revised legislation does not effectively represent that partnership.

“Local Government is committed to continuing our engagement with key areas of reform which can deliver improved outcomes for people, unpaid carers and our workforce. We cannot, however, offer our support for the legislation brought forward at this stage”

“It is important that the views of people accessing, working in and planning front-line support services are listened to, both with regards to the NCS legislation and also the improvements needed to overcome the sustained financial and workforce pressures being experienced across Scotland.”

NHS chief executives and chairs also sounded the alarm this week.

In a submission to a Holyrood committee, they wrote: “NHS Board Chairs and Chief Executives are clear that structural change of itself will not address the fundamental and sustained challenges that Social Care is facing.”

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The senior NHS figures continued: “We have significant concerns that there is still a lack of clear scope to the National Care Service, specifically in its application (or otherwise) to children’s services, justice services, primary care, and community services.”

They also insisted children’s services should not be part of the NCS:

“We are incredibly mindful of the risks around disaggregating children’s services from their current constructs, including specifically the inter-relationship with education. "

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