Scottish Care in legal action over residential care tendering

Scottish Care, the umbrella group which represents independent care home providers, is seeking a Judicial Review over the way Glasgow City Council is offering contracts to care homes.

The local authority has said it will cap the amount it is prepared to pay for care at 1% extra per year, over the next four years.

Glasgow currently buys places for 3,600 people from 85 care homes, with nationally-agreed weekly rates of £590 per person for nursing home care and £510 per person for residential care.

But Scottish Care claim the council already pays more than £200 less for every resident in a private care home, compared with those in its own care homes; where costs are more than £800 per person.

It has now instructed lawyers to examine if the council has breached procurement laws and acted unreasonably and is seeking a Judicial Review, challenging “the flawed nature of the tender process”.

Speaking to the BBC, Scottish Care chief executive Ranald Mair said: “Glasgow care home providers have been more than willing to engage in discussions with the council to reach a fair agreement on the cost of care so that we can all get it right for Glasgow’s older people, yet officials have remained committed to dictating to rather than consulting with care homes on this matter.

“The process appears to be more driven by political considerations than by the requirements of vulnerable older people.”

He added: “The terms of the Glasgow tender are flawed, and likely to be to the detriment of providers, service users and even the council, in terms of stability of supply.

“They do not provide the necessary financial basis for the ongoing delivery of quality care or for investment in service development and service improvement.”

Glasgow city Council said that because it had not received any court documents, it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage.