Scottish Greens urged to withdraw support for controversial National Care Service plans

Unison has joined council leaders, the STUC, and senior NHS executives in expressing serious reservations about the proposed SNP plans.

Scotland's largest trade union has urged the Greens to withdraw support for controversial plans to create a National Care Service.

Unison has joined council leaders, the STUC, and senior NHS executives in expressing serious reservations about the proposed Scottish Government legislation.

SNP ministers have insisted it would see standards across the country's care industry driven up by Holyrood taking more control of how services are delivered.

But local authorities have withdrawn support for the project amid fears it amounts to little more than a power-grab.

John Swinney's Government lacks a majority in Parliament - meaning Green votes could be crucial in pushing through the National Care Service Bill when it is voted on.

Lilian Macer, Unison Scottish secretary, said: "Scottish Green MSPs must use their vote to stop the social care bill from going through Holyrood. Key organisations have raised serious concerns that the greens can’t ignore.

"Local councillors play a crucial role in highlighting the potential fallout if the bill is passed including that local accountability will be the first casualty if this bill goes through.

"Councillors must persuade their parliamentary colleagues to call time on this confused and damaging legislation."

Green MSP Gillian Mackay said her party was happy to engage with unions on the matter.

"We know that the proposed bill needs a lot of work and that at present it is far from what we want it to be," she said. "The next time we get an opportunity to vote on the Bill as a whole isn’t for some time yet and we are committed to taking feedback from unions, COSLA and carers organisations on what else they would like to see.

"Reform in social care is long overdue but we must ensure that the reforms that are implemented will have the desired effect.

"I've engaged with local authorities, including COSLA, and trade unions, including the STUC, about what they want to see included to improve the Bill, and will continue to. I am committed to working with them to get their suggestions and concerns taken seriously, and very happy to speak with Unison to do the same.

"We recognise that there are a lot of people and stakeholders who have serious concerns with the Bill and they need to be addressed. But we also recognise that there are big structural problems with the way care is currently delivered in Scotland, and we also badly need to address those."

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