Call for Scots public to shape care of the future

Organisations and members of the public across Scotland are being offered the opportunity to give their views on the standards of care that people receive.

Scots are being asked to respond to a consultation on Scotland’s National Care Standards, which covers services such as nurseries and childminders, care homes for older people, housing support services, hospice care and independent hospitals.

The consultation, which launches on Wednesday, sets out a range of human rights-based proposals for developing new standards that improve the quality of care and protect vulnerable people.

These standards will be used by national inspection watchdogs, Care Inspectorate and Healthcare Improvement Scotland, to measure the quality of services and ensure people are being looked after in accordance with their rights.

The new set of standards will replace the care standards published in 2002.

Health Secretary Alex Neil said: “Almost everyone in Scotland is likely to come into contact with care services at some point in their lives, whether for themselves or for a relative, and so it’s absolutely vital that people have their say on how they would expect this care to be delivered.

“We believe that there are core elements of quality that should be common across public services. High quality should be universal, no matter where health and care is being delivered, who is delivering it, or who is receiving care. These fundamental principles will ensure the people who use health and care services are at the centre of how they are planned and delivered. I’d encourage everyone to complete the consultation response and give us their views.”

Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell said: “We have made great inroads into achieving our vision of providing better care support for all ages but we will not be complacent. Throughout the improvements we have made – whether that is in healthcare, elderly care, expanding the support for looked after children or getting it right for every child – we need to support those providing that service.

“This consultation is the chance for us to hear from those on the front line and those receiving services to allow us to do all we can to support families in their times of need.”

Background

In anticipation of the integration of health and social care services from next year, the consultation seeks views on broadening the review beyond the current care standards and developing quality standards for health and care services.

The consultation will run from 25 June to 17 September 2014. It can accessed via the Scottish Government website here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/06/7325