MSPs to investigate provision of care for the elderly

MSPs are to probe standards in elderly care provision after investigations by The Herald and the BBC. Holyrood’s local government committee is to quiz bosses at South Lanarkshire Council and the Care Commission over the use of controversial “reverse e-auctions” to procure contractors.

It comes after The Herald and a recent TV documentary raised concerns over care.

Committee convener Duncan McNeil said the findings will form the basis of a recommendation to the Scottish Government.

The Labour MSP said: “The programme raised serious issues about social care provision and the procurement and tendering process.

“I received an e-mail from a constituent who compared the tendering process to buying cheap jewellery on a TV shopping channel. The committee were all agreed that it needed investigation and we plan to begin taking evidence in the next few weeks.”

In November last year The Herald exposed the plight of elderly people having their lives disrupted as charities are forced to compete with each other to take over council-funded services.

BBC’s Panorama filmed three homecare providers and showed them rushing between appointments, with some being missed entirely.

The procurement method of selling to the lowest bidder through “reverse e-auctions” has been heavily criticised for compromising standards to cut costs.