Scots look to control raging care budget

The Scottish government has reiterated its commitment to providing free social care, despite warnings that the bill could reach almost £10m by 2031 under the current setup.

Launching a Reshaping Care for Older People campaign last week, Shona Robison, public health minister, said changes to the way care is delivered are necessary to avoid a care bill currently rising from £4.5bn to £8bn under the current system.

She proposed more investment in technology such as tele-care and efficiency savings.

She said: “These are issues for every family in Scotland. This is change that will have to happen over two decades, and it will affect us all. Reshaping Care for Older People is an opportunity to start thinking about how we need to change, to ensure we can continue caring for our older people to the high standards they rightly expect.”

The majority of care services in Scotland are provided by local authorities unlike in England where most people have to pay themselves.

Councillor Ronnie McColl, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities’ health and wellbeing spokesman, said: “Health and local government will need to look at streamlining services, deliver more and greater efficiencies, more effectively share resources and people, and think more carefully about our investment decisions.

“But even if we squeeze every last iota of inefficiency from our system, we will still need more money to support older people’s care into the future.”

Duncan Philp, senior consultant of Dunfermline-based Macbeth Currie, said: “In the current financial climate it is totally unaffordable.

“It is too late to turn the clock back. They need to redirect money from elsewhere.”